Zooplankton abundance time series from net hauls at Western Channel Observatory site L4 off Plymouth, UK between 1988-2022.

Ongoing zooplankton research at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory has established a time series of zooplankton species since 1988 at L4, a coastal station off Plymouth, UK. Weekly samples are collected by vertical net hauls (WP2 net, mesh 200 µm; UNESCO 1968) from the sea floor (approximately 50 m) to the surface and stored in 4% buffered formalin. This dataset runs from 1988 to 2022 end. Results presented are number/m3 mean values from two replicate hauls made on each sampling timepoint. Some of the zooplankton analysis has been to the level of "major taxonomic groups" only, and a number of different analysts have participated over the years. The level of expertise has generally been consistent, but the user should be aware that levels of taxonomic discrimination may vary during the course of the data-set, please see the metadata table for more information on this and the description document regarding complexities of the dataset. It is encouraged that users of the data maintain contact with originators of the dataset to prevent misuse or misunderstanding of the data provided due to the complex nature and temporal coverage of the data provided.