Physical variables and abundance of zooplankton groups along the west coast of Baja California peninsula (July-September 2014)

Physical oceanography variables and abundance of zooplankton community were analysed along the west coast of Baja California peninsula (July-September 2014). This study is related to 'The Blob', a mass of unusually warm ocean water registered off North America's west coast, setting sea temperature records and scrambling weather and ecosystems. This dataset contains the depth, temperature, and conductivity that were recorded from surface to a maximum depth using a SeaBird SB11 CTD equipped with a Seabird-43 Dissolved Oxygen sensor. Values of numerical abundance data analyzed from Northwest coast of Baja California peninsula to the South of Baja California. Zooplankton were collected using the Bongo nets with 505-μm of mesh opening from surface to 200 m depth. The Bongo system consists of two cylindrical-conical nets (2 m in length and 71 cm of mouth diameter) each one fitted with a flexible cod end and a General Oceanics flowmeter at the mouth for the determination of the volume of water filtered. Samples were fixed in 4% formalin buffered with a saturated solution of sodium borate. The zooplankton organisms were identified to functional taxonomic groups and its abundance was standardized using the formula (N = n / Vf); where N is the standardized number of organisms in 1 m3; n is the number of organisms in the sample and Vf, is the volume of water filtered in each trawl.