North Sea Ecosystem Cruise Report_JH2022206

Abstract

The North Sea Ecosystem cruise (NSEC) is a multi-purpose survey established to monitor distribution and interactions of several components that constitute the lower trophic levels of the pelagic food web including phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish eggs and fish larvae. The cruise is managed by the IMR projects Monitoring of climate and plankton in the North Sea Skagerrak (IMR 14920) and Early life history dynamics of North Sea Fishes (IMR 14917). The cruise provides horizontal and vertical distributions of physical and chemical oceanographic parameters and phytoplankton, zooplankton fish eggs and larvae community composition and structure in the northern North Sea and Skagerrak. Since 2020 the IMR plankton survey was expanded by adding the monitoring of an additional trophic level, microzooplankton. The survey area of the North Sea Ecosystem cruise 2021 covered the northern North Sea and the Skagerrak (57-60.8ºN, 2.2ºW- 8.6ºE). Sampling were made at pre-selected stations along the IMR standard hydrographic transects.

North Sea Ecosystem Cruise Report_JH2022206