Dataset: Video Plankton Recorder data (formatted with taxa displayed in single column); from R/V Columbus Iselin and R/V Endeavor cruises CI9407, EN259, EN262 in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank from 1994-1995

This dataset includes ALL the abundance values, zero and non-zero.  Taxonomic groups are diplayed in the 'taxon' column, rather than in separate columns, with abundances in the 'abund_L' column. For the original presentation of the data, see VPR_ashjian_orig. For a version of the data with only non-zero data, see VPR_ashjian_nonzero. In the 'nonzero' dataset, values of 0 in the abund_L column (taxon abundance) have been removed.

Methodology
The following information was extracted from C.J. Ashjian et al., Deep- Sea Research II 48(2001) 245-282 . An in-depth discussion of the data and sampling methods can be found there.

The Video Plankton Recorder was towed at 2 m/s, collecting data from the surface to the bottom (towyo). The VPR was equipped with 2-4 cameras, temperature and conductivity probes, fluorometer and transmissometer. Environmental data was collected at 0.25 Hz (CI9407) or 0.5 Hz (EN259, EN262). Video images were recorded at 60 fields per second (fps).

Video tapes were analyzed for plankton abundances using a semi-automated method discussed in Davis, C.S. et al., Deep-Sea Research II 43 (1996) 1946-1970. In-focus images were extracted from the video tapes and identified by hand to particle type, taxon, or species. Plankton and particle observations were merged with environmental and navigational data by binning the observations for each category into the time intervals at which the environmental data were collected (again see above Davis citation). Concentrations were calculated utilizing the total volume (liters) imaged during that period. For less-abundant categories, usually only a single organism was observed during each time interval so that the resulting concentrations are close to presence or absence data rather than covering a range of values.