TITLE: Readme File- HLY0601bensum.xls

TITLE: �� Readme File- HLY0601bensum.xls

AUTHORS:

��P.I.(S): Jackie M. Grebmeier/Lee W. Cooper

��University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory

�� tel: +1 410-42307334 (JG), +1-410-326-7359 (LC)

�� fax: +1 410-326-7302

�� email: jgrebmei@cbl.umces.edu, cooper@cbl.umces.edu

�� website: http://arctic.cbl.umces.edu

FUNDING SOURCE/GRANT NUMBER: NSF 0454454

� ��

ORIGINAL AWARD TITLE: Climate-driven changes in impacts of benthic predators in the northern Bering Sea

DATA ARCHIVE: submitted as retrospective portion of project titled �BEST: Benthic Ecosystem Response to Changing Ice Cover in the Bering Sea�

DATASET OVERVIEW:

�� This dataset contains measurements of benthic infauna at each station, parameters (abundance, biomass (g/m2), biomass (gC/m2), number of taxa) and the top ranked family/species that contribute to overall station infaunal parameters. Samples included in this dataset were collected from May 9-June 3, 2006 from the United States Coast Guard Icebreaker Healy (WAGB-20). Samples collected on the Healy were funded through the National Science Foundation.

INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION:

�� A van Veen grab (0.1 m² sediment grab), weighted with 32 kg of lead was used in the collection of infauna.��

DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING

�� Four van Veen grabs were collected at each station for infauna. The grabs were sieved on a 1mm screen and infauna was preserved in 10% buffered formalin.

�� Infauna were sorted, counted, and weighed (wet weight) to the family level. The biomass is calculated from published carbon conversion values (Stoker 1998, Grebmeier et al. 1989).

DATA FORMAT

Data File Structure:

�� File Names (Formats): HLY0601bensum.xls

�� Files will try to adhere to this convention, but sometimes cruises from the same year will be combined for convenience, and the name will reflect the year and the variables included.

Data Parameters:

Cruise-Ship, Year, Cruise # =HLY0601 (HLY: "Healy", USCG Icebreaker WAGB-20; 06: year, 2006; 01: cruise number for the ship for that year

Station# - sequentially numbered from beginning to end of cruise

Station Name - based on transect names, the lower the number the lower the depth

�� DLN=Dateline, NWC=Northwest Cape, SWC=Southwest Cape, SIL=St. Lawerence Island, SEC=Southeast Cape, NEC=Northeast Cape

Abundance � average number of infaunal animals per m2 (no/m2)

Biomass� average grams of infaunal biomass per m2 (wet g/m2)

Biomass� average grams of infaunal carbon per m2 calculated from carbon conversion numbers (gC/m2)

Taxa# - average number of taxa per m2

Abundance-Top 3 (#/m2)- rows lists the taxonomic identification for the family/species that rank as the top 3 in contribution to station abundance

%- the corresponding percentage contribution of each family/species to station abundance

Biomass-Top 3 (wet g/m2)- rows lists the taxonomic identification for the family/species that rank as the top 3 in contribution to station biomass

%- the corresponding percentage contribution of each family/species to station biomass

Biomass-Top 3 (gC/m2)- rows lists the taxonomic identification for the family/species that rank as the top 3 in contribution to station biomass in terms of carbon

%- the corresponding percentage contribution of each family/species to station biomass in terms of carbon

Data Version Number and Date: Version 1, 07/20/09

Software Compatibility: This dataset will be posted in Microsoft Excel 03

REFERENCES

Grebmeier, J. M., Howard M. Feder and C. Peter McRoy (1989), Pelagic-benthic coupling on the shelf of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. II. Benthic community structure, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 51, 253-268.

Stoker, S. W. (1978), Benthic invertebrate macrofauna of the eastern continental shelf of the Bering/Chukchi Seas., Ph.D. thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks.