Articles | Volume 15, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5701-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5701-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description article
| 
18 Dec 2023
Data description article |
| 18 Dec 2023
| 18 Dec 2023
The Western Channel Observatory: a century of physical, chemical and biological data compiled from pelagic and benthic habitats in the western English Channel
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Angus Atkinson
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Ruth L. Airs
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Rachel Brittain
The Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
Ian Brown
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Elaine S. Fileman
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Helen S. Findlay
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Caroline L. McNeill
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Clare Ostle
The Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
Tim J. Smyth
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Paul J. Somerfield
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
deceased
Karen Tait
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Glen A. Tarran
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Simon Thomas
Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
Claire E. Widdicombe
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
E. Malcolm S. Woodward
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Amanda Beesley
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
David V. P. Conway
The Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
James Fishwick
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Hannah Haines
Sorbonne University, Paris, France
Carolyn Harris
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Roger Harris
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Pierre Hélaouët
The Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
David Johns
The Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
Penelope K. Lindeque
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Thomas Mesher
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Abigail McQuatters-Gollop
Marine Conservation Research Group, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
Joana Nunes
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Frances Perry
The Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
Ana M. Queiros
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Andrew Rees
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Saskia Rühl
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
David Sims
The Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
Ricardo Torres
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
Stephen Widdicombe
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
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Total article views: 4,556 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
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Cited
12 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Acute and partial life-cycle toxicity of a tri-polymer blend of microplastics in the copepod Acartia tonsa Z. Botterell et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126105
- Long-term monitoring of hydrological dynamics and phytoplankton biomass indicator in three shellfish ecosystems of the English channel (2000–2024) J. Sosinski et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4737-2025
- Exposure to chronic warming affects fitness components differently in two congener gastropods A. Abbas et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-026-04870-1
- Real-time visualization reveals copepod mediated microplastic flux V. Fagiano et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.140551
- The emergence of nitrification during DOM processing by marine microbial assemblages K. Flynn et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336919
- Long-term changes of environment and zooplankton in the deep coastal zone of the White Sea N. Usov et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-026-03527-5
- Predicted shifts in bacterial and algal contributions to DMSP and DMS dynamics during a coastal spring–summer bloom X. Zhu et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrag141
- Impact of waves on phytoplankton activity on the Northwest European Shelf: insights from observations and km-scale coupled models D. Partridge et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-345-2026
- Temporal shifts in kelp forest structure and distribution largely reflect recent ocean warming trends N. Salland et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecog.08280
- Individual foraminiferal analysis: A promising tool for high-resolution temperature and pH reconstruction Z. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2026.123395
- Two decades of change reveal coupled pelagic–benthic restructuring and increasing benthic dominance in coastal ecosystems of the English Channel L. Greiner et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70391
- A 45-year hydrological and planktonic time series in the South Bight of the North Sea D. Devreker et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1173-2025
12 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Acute and partial life-cycle toxicity of a tri-polymer blend of microplastics in the copepod Acartia tonsa Z. Botterell et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126105
- Long-term monitoring of hydrological dynamics and phytoplankton biomass indicator in three shellfish ecosystems of the English channel (2000–2024) J. Sosinski et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4737-2025
- Exposure to chronic warming affects fitness components differently in two congener gastropods A. Abbas et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-026-04870-1
- Real-time visualization reveals copepod mediated microplastic flux V. Fagiano et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.140551
- The emergence of nitrification during DOM processing by marine microbial assemblages K. Flynn et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336919
- Long-term changes of environment and zooplankton in the deep coastal zone of the White Sea N. Usov et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-026-03527-5
- Predicted shifts in bacterial and algal contributions to DMSP and DMS dynamics during a coastal spring–summer bloom X. Zhu et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrag141
- Impact of waves on phytoplankton activity on the Northwest European Shelf: insights from observations and km-scale coupled models D. Partridge et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-345-2026
- Temporal shifts in kelp forest structure and distribution largely reflect recent ocean warming trends N. Salland et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecog.08280
- Individual foraminiferal analysis: A promising tool for high-resolution temperature and pH reconstruction Z. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2026.123395
- Two decades of change reveal coupled pelagic–benthic restructuring and increasing benthic dominance in coastal ecosystems of the English Channel L. Greiner et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70391
- A 45-year hydrological and planktonic time series in the South Bight of the North Sea D. Devreker et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1173-2025
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 19 Jul 2026
Short summary
Western Channel Observatory is an oceanographic time series and biodiversity reference site within 40 km of Plymouth (UK), sampled since 1903. Differing levels of reporting and formatting hamper the use of the valuable individual datasets. We provide the first summary database as monthly averages where comparisons can be made of the physical, chemical and biological data. We describe the database, illustrate its utility to examine seasonality and longer-term trends, and summarize previous work.
Western Channel Observatory is an oceanographic time series and biodiversity reference site...
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