History of the CPR DatabaseD. Stevens and P.C. Reid
Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science
Introduction
Recent and future development
The CPR Survey
Monitor the near-surface plankton of the North Atlantic and North Sea on a monthly basis
Year to year changes in abundance
Seasonal cycles of species
Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science
CPR routes map 1948-2001
How data are collected
The CPR is a plankton sampling instrument designed to be towed from merchant ships on their normal sailings
Alister Hardy used the first prototype to sample krill in the Antarctic on the Discovery cruises of 1925-27
Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science
The CPR
How data are analysed
How data are STORED
Before Computers
Sample positions
Cutting points
Local time
Before Computers (2)
Data were stored on paper for each tow
This data would then be transposed onto cards for each species
Sample No
Species name
Tow record
Sample No
Tow name
Species card
Before Computers (3)
This task was very time consuming.
The analysis team of more than 12 spent 1/3rd of their time entering data.
Process was in need of speeding up.
1970 1980 1990 2000
The first computerised database
Based at Edinburgh Regional Computing Centre (ERCC)
Prior to this Principle Component Analysis had been carried out using a DEUCE electronic computer
Data processed using a KDF 9 (32Kb)
1969
Card Reader
Operator's Console
Tape Drives
The first computerised database
Based at Edinburgh Regional Computing Centre (ERCC)
Prior to this Principle Component Analysis had been carried out using a DEUCE electronic computer
Data processed using a KDF 9 (32Kb)
ALGOrithmic Language (ALGOL)
External Changes
1969
Relocation
PDP11
Hardware changes
1970 1980 1990 2000
1970 1980 1990 2000
1970 1980 1990 2000
Further Changes
1970 1980 1990 2000
Rapid Changes
The database moved home again to RS 6000
This home was short lived due to problems networking the RS 6000
Now all data processing was programmed in Fortran 77
1970 1980 1990 2000
Development using Fortran
1970 1980 1990 2000
ORACLE
Due to cost of maintaining ORACLE system was dropped
1970 1980 1990 2000
ACCESS - Current system
User friendly interface
ACCESS - Current system
1970 1980 1990 2000
Further development
1970 1980 1990 2000
Consistency
Strategy to ensure all systems are stored on current media.
Some programs can be lost because the media on which that have been stored has become obsolete
Ensure same algorithms are applied to data
1970 1980 1990 2000
Quality Control
Basic QC programme used to check data and advice given.
Analysis sheets are checked by experienced analysts.
1970 1980 1990 2000
Data Policy
www.sahfos.org
CPR Plankton Atlas
DATA AVAILABLE
185902 samples (1946-2001)
Web Development
Future development
Expansion to include further environmental variables.
Plankton Atlas available on CD or the Web
CPR Browser available on CD
1970 1980 1990 2000
D. Stevens and P.C. Reid