Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 1970472

• Metadata Summary

• Problem Reports

• Data Access Policy

• Narrative Documents

• Project Information

• Data Activity or Cruise Information

• Fixed Station Information

• BODC Quality Flags

• SeaDataNet Quality Flags

Metadata Summary

Problem Reports

No Problem Report Found in the Database

Data Access Policy

Open Data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

You must always use the following attribution statement to acknowledge the source of the information: "Contains data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council."

Narrative Documents

Becton Dickinson FACSort Flow Cytometer

The Becton Dickinson FACSort Flow Cytometer is a benchtop, five-detector, flow cytometer that is designed to analyse cells as they travel, one by one, in a moving fluid stream, through a focused, air-cooled, argon-ion laser beam. Samples are introduced through a stainless steel injection tube equipped with an outer droplet containment sleeve. As the cell passes through the laser, a mechanical catcher tube located in the upper portion of the flow cell, moves in and out of the sample stream to collect desired cells at a rate of up to 300 per second. The physical characteristics of the cells, which pertain to how the cell scatters the laser light and emits fluorescence are then analysed. This provides information about the cell's size, internal complexity and relative fluorescence intensity. Up to five parameters can be measured at once by the FACSort including forward light scatter, side light scatter, three fluorescence parameters, pulse height and width of each fluorescence parameter. FACSort can be operated with any Macintosh computer, where the information is output to. The FACSort system includes CELLQuest software for acquisition and analysis and FACSComp software for daily setup and quality control.

Droplet formation of sheath fluid as it backflows from the injection tube is eliminated by the use of the containment sleeve in conjunction with a vacuum pump. Fluid controls allow the user to select the fluidics mode and sample flow rate. As a mechanical device is used to sort cells, no side streams are formed so aerosol formation is completely eliminated. The laser alignment and stream velocity are fixed so the time it takes for desired cells to reach the catcher tube is constant so no setup calculations are required. As no optical alignment is required, daily setup can be performed quickly and consistently. Between one and three cell collection tubes can be installed and the instrument will automatically determine the maximum volume of sample to collect.

Specifications

Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheet.

Niskin Bottle

The Niskin bottle is a device used by oceanographers to collect subsurface seawater samples. It is a plastic bottle with caps and rubber seals at each end and is deployed with the caps held open, allowing free-flushing of the bottle as it moves through the water column.

Standard Niskin

The standard version of the bottle includes a plastic-coated metal spring or elastic cord running through the interior of the bottle that joins the two caps, and the caps are held open against the spring by plastic lanyards. When the bottle reaches the desired depth the lanyards are released by a pressure-actuated switch, command signal or messenger weight and the caps are forced shut and sealed, trapping the seawater sample.

Lever Action Niskin

The Lever Action Niskin Bottle differs from the standard version, in that the caps are held open during deployment by externally mounted stainless steel springs rather than an internal spring or cord. Lever Action Niskins are recommended for applications where a completely clear sample chamber is critical or for use in deep cold water.

Clean Sampling

A modified version of the standard Niskin bottle has been developed for clean sampling. This is teflon-coated and uses a latex cord to close the caps rather than a metal spring. The clean version of the Levered Action Niskin bottle is also teflon-coated and uses epoxy covered springs in place of the stainless steel springs. These bottles are specifically designed to minimise metal contamination when sampling trace metals.

Deployment

Bottles may be deployed singly clamped to a wire or in groups of up to 48 on a rosette. Standard bottles and Lever Action bottles have a capacity between 1.7 and 30 L. Reversing thermometers may be attached to a spring-loaded disk that rotates through 180° on bottle closure.

Pico-plankton, nano-plankton, and heterotrophic bacteria abundance from Analytical Flow Cytometry (AFC) analysis of samples collected from CTD casts during AMT28 (JR18001)

Originator's Protocol for Data Acquisition and Analysis

These data originate from analyses of seawater samples collected in clean 250 mL polycarbonate bottles using a Seabird CTD system containing a 24 bottle rosette of 20 L Niskin bottles. Samples were collected from 200 m to the surface from the predawn and solar noon CTD casts. Samples were stored in a refrigerator and analysed within 2 hours of collection. Fresh samples were measured using a Becton Dickinson FACSort flow cytometer which characterised and enumerated Prochlorococcus sp. and Synechococcus sp. (cyanobacteria) and pico- and eucaryote phytoplankton, based on their light scattering and autofluorescence properties. Data were saved in listmode format and were analysed back at the laboratory.

Samples for bacteria enumeration were collected in clean 250 mL polycarbonate bottles using a Seabird CTD system containing a 24 bottle rosette of 20 L Niskin bottles from 200 m to the surface at predawn and solar noon CTD casts. Samples were fixed with glutaraldehyde solution (Sigma-Aldrich, 50%, Grade 1. 0.5% final concentration, 30 mins at 4°C) within half an hour of surfacing. Samples were stained for 1 h at room temperature in the dark with the DNA stain SYBR Green I (Thermo-Fisher) in order to separate particles in suspension based on DNA content and light scattering properties. Samples were generally analysed flow cytometrically within 3 hours of surfacing. Stained samples were measured using a Becton Dickinson FACSort flow cytometer. Data were saved in listmode format and analysed back at the laboratory.

For further information please refer to the cruise report.

BODC Data Processing Procedures

Data were submitted via email in an Excel spreadsheet. Sample metadata including cruise, station, sampling gear, date, CTD cast, time on deck, latitude, longitude, Niskin bottle number and depth were checked against information held in the database and matched according to cast, rosette bottle number, and depth.

The data were provided in cell abundance per millilitre. These units were consistent with the BODC parameter code units so no conversions were necessary.

The data were reformatted and marked up with BODC parameter codes. Data were loaded into BODC's samples database under Oracle Relational Database Management System using established BODC data banking procedures.

The originator variables were mapped to appropriate BODC parameter codes as follows:

Data Quality Report

BODC were not advised of any specific quality checks carried out by the data originators. There were no stand out values in the sample data provided to BODC.

Project Information

Marine LTSS: CLASS (Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science)

Introduction

CLASS is a five year (2018 to 2023) programme, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and extended until March 2024.

Scientific Rationale

The ocean plays a vital role in sustaining life on planet Earth, providing us with both living resources and climate regulation. The trajectory of anthropogenically driven climate change will be substantially controlled by the ocean due to its absorption of excess heat and carbon from the atmosphere, with consequent impacts on ocean resources that remain poorly understood. In an era of rapid planetary change, expanding global population and intense resource exploitation, it is vital that there are internationally coordinated ocean observing and prediction systems so policy makers can make sound evidence-based decisions about how to manage our interaction with the ocean. CLASS will underpin the UK contribution to these systems, documenting and understanding change in the marine environment, evaluating the impact of climate change and effectiveness of conservation measures and predicting the future evolution of marine environments. Over the five-year period CLASS will enhance the cost-effectiveness of observing systems by migrating them towards cutting edge autonomous technologies and developing new sensors. Finally, CLASS will create effective engagement activities ensuring academic partners have transparent access to NERC marine science capability through graduate training partnerships and access to shipborne, lab based and autonomous facilities, and modelling capabilities.

Data Activity or Cruise Information

Data Activity

BODC Sample Metadata Report for JR18001_CTD_CTD044

Please note:the supplied parameters may not have been sampled from all the bottle firings described in the table above. Cross-match the Sample Reference Number above against the SAMPRFNM value in the data file to identify the relevant metadata.

Related Data Activity activities are detailed in Appendix 1

Cruise

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here

Fixed Station Information

No Fixed Station Information held for the Series

BODC Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

SeaDataNet Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

Appendix 1: JR18001_CTD_CTD044

Related series for this Data Activity are presented in the table below. Further information can be found by following the appropriate links.

If you are interested in these series, please be aware we offer a multiple file download service. Should your credentials be insufficient for automatic download, the service also offers a referral to our Enquiries Officer who may be able to negotiate access.