Scottish coastal waters, central and northern North Sea, Rockall, north east Atlantic

Raw fluorometer output; Salinity of the water column; Temperature of the water column

Fluorometers; thermosalinographs; continuous water samplers; salinity sensor

This data set has been collated from data gathered on many different cruises under many different projects and programmes in which the Laboratory has been involved. The data set can be conveniently split into two parts: a) Data collected between 1970 and 1984: these data are stored in manuscript form, either as a manual log of observations at very variable and irregular recording intervals or as the original analogue chart recorder traces. In the first case, the data are logged as date, time, position, temperature and salinity. In the latter case, the original chart traces will be annotated with date and time information which could be married up with manually logged position information. In either case, these data are not verified. b) Data collected since 1985 these data are stored on optical disk and are checked and verified. The recording intervals are variable though generally either 2, 5 or 10 minutes. A data record comprises date, time, position (as latitude and longitude), temperature and salinity. Also, soundings were recorded at intermittent intervals throughout these records. Since early 1992, fluorescence has been recorded as part of this data set. The data files can be viewed and edited using in house software DOS based graphical display software. Though this software still functions under a MARLAB Windows server 2003 environment the software is currently being rewritten and update for this Windows environment. All valid thermosalinograph data files were submitted to the ICES data bank centre during 2003 and these data are now submitted annually to the ICES data bank centre. The entire data set was collected by research vessels operated by or on behalf of the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen. The instruments were connected to a pumped sea water supply, the inlet for which was located on the vessel's hull, typically at a depth of 3m. Samples from the pumped supply were collected for calibrating the conductivity (salinity) and fluorescence sensors.

Fisheries Research Services, Aberdeen Marine Laboratory
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Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
AB11 9DB
United Kingdom