Global, but primarily North Atlantic and adjacent seas

Salinity of the water column; Temperature of the water column

From 1902 to 1967, the data set is approximately compatible with that held by the World Data Centres, so far as the ICES Member Countries are concerned. In this period most serial station data were published in ICES publications such as the Bulletin Hydrographique. The 1991 US data archaeology project served to identify and fill gaps in this data series. Consequently it is fairly safe to say that the vast majority of (civilian) serial stations worked during this period by the European member countries of ICES are included. Following the introduction of National Data Centres in the 1960s, ICES no longer was required to obtain data direct from national institutes, that being the new responsibility of these centres. However such an arrangement did not stand the test of time, and now 95% of station data is obtained by ICES direct from institutes/individuals. As it has responsibilities as national data centre for Denmark and Iceland, data from these countries are passed onto the World Data Centres. ICES now acquires about 20,000 stations annually and this is added to the 400,000 stations currently in its data bank. All received data is carefully screened and quality controlled, and, if relevant, compared with data collected by other countries/institutes if collected near the same place and time. This ensures that undue reliance does not have to be placed on comparisons with climatological mean data which only serves to isolate data of the poorest quality. All suspect data is discussed with the originator, partly as a service to the originator, and partly to acquire the best possible alternative to the suspect data. All quality control procedures are available as PC software as well as PC data entry schemes.

International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46
Copenhagen V

DK-1553
Denmark