Time-Series of Phytoplankton taxonomy, Occurrence, and Density in the Cariaco Basin (southeastern Caribbean Sea) Nov 1995-Jan 2017: monthly data collected by the CARIACO Ocean Time-Series Program.


Description: 
	The CARIACO Ocean Time-Series Program (formerly known as CArbon Retention In A Colored Ocean) started on November 1995 (CAR-001) and ended on January 2017 (CAR-232). Monthly cruises were conducted to the CARIACO station (10.50 N, 64.67 W) onboard the R/V Hermano Gins of the Fundacin La Salle de Ciencias Naturales de Venezuela.The program studied the relationship between surface primary production, physical forcing variables like the wind, and the settling flux of particulate carbon in the Cariaco Basin. This depression, located on the continental shelf of Venezuela, shows marked seasonal and interannual variation in hydrographic properties and primary production (carbon fixation rates by photosynthesis of planktonic algae).
	One of the monthly measurements taken by the program was water sampling at diferent depths for phytoplankton taxonomy (occurrence and density). Those water samples were collected with Niskin bottles during the first CTD Cast of the morning at 1, 7, 25, 35, 75, and 100 m depth. Phytoplankton taxonomy and density was determined at each depth at the level of species or genera. Values of zero are real and denote that an specific species was not found at that cruise/depth. 

Details:
- Parameter or Variable: Phytoplankton - count (measured).  
- Units: cells/mL. 
- Observation Category: laboratory analysis. 
- Sampling Instrument: microscope.
 
Sampling: 
Water was collected with a SeaBird rosette equipped with 12 (8 liter) teflon-coated Niskin bottles (bottle springs were also teflon-coated) at diferent depths. Water samples for phytoplankton taxonomy analysis were usually collected during the first CTD/Niskin Cast of the morning for the following depths: 1, 7, 25, 35, 75, and 100 m. 

Analyzing Method: 
The determination of microalgal taxonomy and abundance was carried out at the Laboratory of Phytoplankton of the Instituto Oceanogrfico de Venezuela, Universidad de Oriente (Cumana, Venezuela), according to the Utermhl sedimentation method that is described by Edler and Elbrchter (2010). Phytoplankton species were identified according to the works of Cupp (1943), Hasle et al. (1997), Berard-Thierrault et al. (1999) and Tenenbaum (2006). 

Citations: 
- Brard-Therriault, L., Poulin, M. and Boss, L., 1999. Guide d'identification du phytoplancton marin de l'estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent: incluant galement certains protozoaires (No. 128). NRC Research Press. Ottawa. 387 p. 
- Cupp, E. 1943. Marine plankton diatoms of North America. Bull. Scripps Inst. Oceanogr. Univ. Calif. 5:1-238 
- Edler, L. and Elbrchter, M., 2010. The Utermhl method for quantitative phytoplankton analysis. 13-20. Microscopic and molecular methods for quantitative phytoplankton analysis. 
- Bengt, K., C. Cusack and E. Bresnan (Eds.). Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of Unesco. IOC Manuals and Guides, 55.
- Hasle, G.R., Syvertsen, E.E., Steidinger, K.A., Tangen, K. and Tomas, C.R., 1996. Identifying marine diatoms and dinoflagellates. Carmelo Tomas (Editor), Academic Press, New York. 858 p. 
- Tenenbaum, D.R. 2006. Dinoflagelados e tintindeos da regio central da Zona Econmica Exclusiva Brasileira: guia de identificao. Rio de Janeiro: Museu Nacional, 287 p.

Author List:
Troccoli-Ghinaglia, Luis; Diaz-Ramos, Rafael; Subero-Pino, Sonia; Astor, Yrene; Varela, Ramon; Rueda-Roa, Digna,  Muller-Karger, Frank; and Klein, Eduardo.

Participants by Institutions:
- Instituto Oceanografico de Venezuela-IOV, Universidad de Oriente-UDO, Cumana-Venezuela (Troccoli-Ghinaglia, Luis; Diaz-Ramos, Rafael; Subero-Pino, Sonia) 
- Estacion de Investigaciones Marinas-EDIMAR, Fundacion La Salle de Ciuencias Naturales-FLASA, Nueva Esparta-Venezuela (Astor, Yrene; Varela, Ramon)
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida-USF, Saint Petersburg, U.S. (Rueda-Roa, Digna,  Muller-Karger, Frank) 
- Instituto de Tecnologa y Ciencias Marinas-INTECMAR, Universidad Simon Bolivar-USB, Caracas-Venezuela (Klein, Eduardo)


Responsible Person:
- Digna Rueda-Roa, primary point of contact, druedaro@mail.usf.edu, University of South Florida - St. Petersburg (USF)

Funding Agencies:
- National Science foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences, NSF/OCE (OCE-0752139, OCE-9216626, OCE-9729284, OCE-491 9401537, OCE-9729697, OCE-9415790, OCE-9711318, OCE-0326268, OCE-0963028, OCE-0326313, and OCE-0326268), United States.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA (NAG5-6448, NAS5-97128, and NNX14AP62A), United States.
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologa, CONACIT (96280221), Venezuela.
- Fondo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnologa e Investigacin, FONACIT (2000001702 and 2011000353), Venezuela. 
- Ley Orgnica de Ciencia, Tecnologa e Innovacin, LOCTI (Estacin de Investigaciones Marinas, 23914), Venezuela. 
- Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, IAI (IAI-CRN3094).