SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
Published October 21, 2021 | Version 1.1
Dataset Open

Myctobase

Creators

  • 1. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
  • 2. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies; CSIRO, Oceans and Atmosphere
  • 3. Laboratoire BORA (UMR 8067), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
  • 4. Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar und Meeresforschung (AWI)
  • 5. Tokyo University of Marine Science; National Institute of Polar Science and Technology;
  • 6. Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center
  • 7. British Antarctic Survey
  • 8. CSIRO, Oceans and Atmosphere
  • 9. Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences; Université Libre de Bruxelles

Description

The global importance of mesopelagic fish is increasingly recognised, but they remain poorly studied. This is particularly true in the Southern Ocean, where mesopelagic fishes are both key predators and prey, but where the remote environment makes sampling them challenging. Despite this, multiple national Antarctic research programs have undertaken regional sampling of mesopelagic fish over several decades. However, data are dispersed, and sampling methodologies often differ precluding comparisons and limiting synthetic analyses. Here, we have collated and standardised existing survey data of mesopelagic fishes into a circumpolar dataset called Myctobase. To date, Myctobase holds 17,491 occurrence and 11,190 abundance records from 4780 net hauls from 72 different research cruises. Data include trait-based information of individuals including standard length, weight and life-stage. Data span across 37 years from 1991 to 2019. Detailed metadata has also been provided for each sampling event including the date, time, position (latitude, longitude, and depth), sampling protocol, net type, net mesh size, tow speed, volume filtered and haul type (routine, target, random). 

The dataset is comprised of three comma-separated files. The first file (event.csv) describes the survey methodology. The second file (groupOccurrence.csv) contains the catch data linked to the survey methodology by an event ID. The final file (individualOccurrence.csv) contains measurements of individuals. Each row contains the event and occurrence ID, which links each measurement to the first and second file. See associated metadata record for definitions and units for each variable in 'definitions.xlsx'.

The final dataset was subject to quality control and validation processes. Entries with ambiguous or incomplete records were identified with a '0' in the column labelled 'validation' (event.csv) and a description of the missing data can be found in the proceeding column labelled 'validationDescription'.

The taxonomic name for each individual was verified against the World Register of Marine Species (http://www.marinespecies.org/).

Notes

This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Files

event.csv

Files (10.1 MB)

Name Size Download all
md5:6b242c7a730c274501ae07d0247dde2b
1.4 MB Preview Download
md5:aac2af6ddf7da66b9cea935aa19360c4
2.9 MB Preview Download
md5:d675948d1dcba6239a3a3738d112881c
5.8 MB Preview Download
md5:5d702a83a7c36a3dec567e14b7d4a009
14.7 kB Download
md5:16038b1ec0675a2c0e5d19de5e54e582
13.2 kB Download
md5:108c4639b449b6d89fb0a3da64f331ca
14.2 kB Download

Additional details

References

  • Collins, M. A., Xavier, J. C., Johnston, N. M., North, A. W., Enderlein, P., Tarling, G. A., Waluda, C. M., Hawker, E. J., & Cunningham, N. J. (2008). Patterns in the distribution of myctophid fish in the northern Scotia Sea ecosystem. Polar Biology, 31(7), 837-851. doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0423-2
  • Collins, M. A., Stowasser, G., Fielding, S., Shreeve, R., Xavier, J. C., Venables, H. J., Enderlein, P., Cherel, Y., & Van de Putte, A. (2012). Latitudinal and bathymetric patterns in the distribution and abundance of mesopelagic fish in the Scotia Sea. Deep-Sea Research Part II-Topical Studies in Oceanography, 59, 189-198. doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2011.07.003
  • Collins, M., Piatkowski, U., & Saunders, R. A. (2021). Distribution of mesopelagic fish in the Scotia Sea from RMT25 and pelagic trawls deployed from RRS James Clark Ross and RRS John Biscoe. Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. 10.5285/f4dfc0ee-4f61-47c5-a5a8-238e02ff2fdd
  • Constable, A., Williams, D. & Lamb, T. (2018). Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) Marine Ecosystem, Australian Antarctic Data Centre, 10.4225/15/5b31be45e8977.
  • Duhamel, G., Gasco, N., & Davaine, P. (2005). Poissons des îles Kerguelen et Crozet : Guide régional de l'océan Austral. In (pp. 424). Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris: Patrimoines naturels ; 63.
  • Flores, H., de Putte, A. P. V., Siegel, V., Pakhomov, E. A., Van Franeker, J. A., Meesters, H. W. G., & Volckaert, F. A. M. (2008). Distribution, abundance and ecological relevance of pelagic fishes in the Lazarev Sea, Southern Ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 367, 271-282. doi:10.3354/meps07530
  • Flores, H., Hunt, B. P. V., Kruse, S., Pakhomov, E. A., Siegel, V., van Franeker, J. A., . . . Bathmann, U. (2014). Seasonal changes in the vertical distribution and community structure of Antarctic macrozooplankton and micronekton. Deep-Sea Research Part I-Oceanographic Research Papers, 84, 127-141. doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2013.11.001
  • Hoddell, R. J., Crossley, C., Hosie, G. & Williams, D. (2016). Fish and zooplankton from RMT-8 net hauls on the BROKE voyage, Australian Antarctic Data Centre. dataset. 10.4225/15/57BA97EA8A22D
  • Loeb, V. J., Hofmann, E. E., Klinck, J. M., Holm-Hansen, O., & White, W. B. (2009). ENSO and variability of the Antarctic Peninsula pelagic marine ecosystem. Antarctic Science, 21(2), 135-148. doi:10.1017/s0954102008001636
  • Piatkowski, U., Rodhouse, P. G., White, M. G., Bone, D. G., & Symon, C. (1994). Nekton community of the Scotia Sea as sampled by the RMT-25 during the austral summer. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 112(1-2), 13-28. doi:10.3354/meps112013
  • Reiss, C. S., Cossio, A., Santora, J. A., Dietrich, K. S., Murray, A., Mitchell, B. G., . . . Watters, G. M. (2017). Overwinter habitat selection by Antarctic krill under varying sea-ice conditions: implications for top predators and fishery management. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 568, 1-16. doi:10.3354/meps12099
  • Sutton, C. A., Kloser, R. J., & Gershwin, L. A. (2018). Micronekton in southeastern Australian and the Southern Ocean; A collation of the biomass, abundance, biodiversity and distribution data from CSIRO's historical mesopelagic depth stratified new samples. CSIRO, Australia. doi:http://hdl.handle.net/102.100.100/365479?index=1
  • Trebilco, R., Walters, A., Melbourne-Thomas, J., Bestley, S., Cox, M., Gastauer, S., & Constable, A. (2019). Mesopelagic community struture on the southern Kerguelen Axis. In The Kerguelen Plateau: Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries (pp. 49-54).
  • Van de Putte, Anton (2006). Fish catches from Rectangular Midwater Trawl - data collected from the BROKE-West voyage of the Aurora Australis, 2006. Australian Antarctic Data Centre. dataset. 10.4225/15/598d453109182
  • Van de Putte, A. P., Jackson, G. D., Pakhomov, E., Flores, H., & Volckaert, F. A. M. (2010). Distribution of squid and fish in the pelagic zone of the Cosmonaut Sea and Prydz Bay region during the BROKE-West campaign. Deep-Sea Research Part II-Topical Studies in Oceanography, 57(9-10), 956-967. doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.02.015