example map from the WGZE Biometrics Atlas
Screen capture of a WGZE Biometrics Atlas summary table.

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WGZE Biometrics Atlas

Traits and Rates (of Zooplankton)

Information on zooplankton rates and traits is increasingly needed to calculate planktonic production, to determine the relative fitness of plankton along environmental gradients, and to predict and assess community shifts and their consequences. Although a wide range of these data types have been determined, these data are scattered in the literature and uncertainties remain from paucity of observations.  This page will serve as a connection to ongoing efforts and work by WGZE, and others, to build compilations and databases of this crucial information.

At this time, there are two interface methods for this work.  The data itself is available via the links farther down this page.  To the right is a link to the WGZE Biometrics Atlas, which currently does not include data (yet) but summarizes the data coverage by taxonomic group and species and ocean regions.  These two mehods will be combined and stream-lined as work progresses.

 

WGZE Work-in-Progress:  A database of individual species-level size, biomass, and length-to-weight equations:

Important:  This is a work in progress and documentation is still being written.  If you have questions or wish to use these data, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  1. Individual Size Information
    1. Over 160 size measurements representing 65+ taxa (e.g., species- or genera-level measurements)
    2. WGZE Individual Size Compilation (.csv)
  2. Individual Mass Information
    1. Over 160 mass measurements representing 35+ taxa.
    2. WGZE Individual Mass Compilation (.csv)
  3. Individual Length-to-Weight Equations
    1. Over 350 equations representing 106+ taxa.
    2. WGZE Length-to-Weight Equations Compilation (.csv)
  4. Individual Rates (Metabolic/Production)
    1. This work is in progress.  The Kiorboe and Hirst (2014) data set alone has over 1000 measurements.

 An html table showing all of the data above is here.  This work is being integrated into the collaborative taxonomic information database called "COPEPEDIA".  Through this database, it will be possible to access trait and rate data (like above) at individual species levels or grouped at any taxonomic level.