Our Data

Zooplankton

Why and how do we collect zooplankton data at the world's freshwater laboratory?

As a major component of the food web, zooplankton are a vital part of ecosystem health.

 

Zooplankton are one of the main grazers on algae and form an important part of the food web, serving as important indicators to changes in water quality. Zooplankton community structure (the number and abundance of each species) is continually monitored in IISD-ELA lakes to observe how external factors influence the complex internal dynamics that help drive lake productivity and provide a vital source of food for fish.

 

Some of the main zooplankton found in IISD-ELA lakes are cladocera, copepods, and rotifers. Larger invertebrate predators include Mysis (opossum shrimp) and Chaoborus (phantom midge).

 

During each summer season, zooplankton samples are collected using a variety of different methods, including nets, tube samplers, and Schindler-Patalas traps.

 

They are then analyzed with microscopy to count, identify, and measure individuals to estimate the biomass and density of zooplankton at the species level (also recording life stage and sex) or summed into a higher taxonomic level (groups: calanoid, cladocera, cyclopoid, rotifer, copepods).

 

Another consideration when working with long-term datasets is taxonomic changes over time and varying opinions by zooplankton experts. We keep their original designations but also produce a version of the data with harmonized taxonomy across time, which we call the “common” taxonomy.

Which samples do we collect and for which parameters do we test? Which datasets are available?

Here are the types of zooplankton data we can offer:

  • raw counts of individuals per species (original taxonomy), per sample, along with sampling metadata (lake, date, method, etc.)
  • size measurements per species, lifestage, and sex (used to convert raw counts into the processed datasets below)
  • abundance (density; number of individuals per litre of water) at the species level (original or common taxonomy)
  • biomass (weight; grams per litre of water) at the species level (original or common taxonomy) or summarized into broader taxonomic groups

Dive in Deeper

How to receive data

We are committed to ensuring the information collected from our research is available to the public. If you are interested in our data, please fill out our Scientific Data Request Form.

Scientific Data Request Form