• Operated by the Marine Biological Association,
    the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey
    is one of the world's longest running
    and most geographically extensive
    marine ecological surveys
    Guinness World Records
  • Towing since 1931 and over 9 decades of analysis
    100’s of scientists around the world are using CPR data
    The CPR Survey has now towed over 7.5 million nautical miles
    We collect plankton coupled with ocean physical, chemical and biological observations
    Our data are freely available and collaborations encouraged
  • video
    OPERATIONS / TAXONOMY / INSTRUMENTATION / DATA ANALYSIS / POLICY MAKERS / SCIENTISTS
    The future of the CPR Survey
    The iCPR project: Integrating artificial intelligence throughout all CPR activities

Welcome to the CPR Survey

The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey is the most geographically extensive marine monitoring programme in the world. Started in 1931. Today the Survey is operated by the Marine Biological Association, based in Plymouth, UK.

293747

Total Samples Analysed

7603465

Total Nautical Miles Towed

696

Taxa Routinely Analysed

4076568

Taxonomic Abundance Entries

Key Services

Marine biological datasets provide a wide range of environmental and climatic indicators to address marine environmental management issues such as Harmful Algal Blooms, pollution, climate change and fisheries

Research

At the base of the marine foodweb, the free floating plant life of the sea (phytoplankton) provide food for the animal plankton (zooplankton) which in turn provide food for many other marine organisms

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Policy Makers

Policy drivers continue to influence research at the CPR Survey and an important aim of the organisation is to use CPR data and the expertise of Survey scientists to deliver evidence-based advice to policy makers and ecosystem managers

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Data

The CPR Survey is unique in having comparable data on the geographical distribution, seasonal cycles and year-to-year changes in abundance of plankton over a large spatial area

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Recent News

FIND OUT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO AND WHAT IS COMING UP

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Decline in plankton across North East Atlantic sends warning for ocean health

29 Jun 2026 | 4

A new study using datasets including those from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey has found there were no habitats assessed as being of ‘Good Environmental Status’ in a region stretching from Portugal to Norway....

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Five years of Marine Research Plymouth Alliance: driving global impact from the UK

05 Jun 2026 | 34

Five years of Marine Research Plymouth Alliance: driving global impact from the UK. This five-year anniversary underscores the strength and longevity of the partnership and its growing impact on both regional and interna...

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Excellence in Plankton Science: Sixth NMBAQC Zooplankton Ring Test

29 May 2026 | 33

The sixth official zooplankton component exercise of the NMBAQC (Northeast Atlantic Marine Biological Analytical Quality Control) scheme NMBAQC - NMBAQC has successfully wrapped up, continuing its tradition of scientific co...

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Shifts in distribution of toxin producing phytoplankton abundance

15 May 2026 | 54

UK researchers, have shown how the distributions of two phytoplankton groups known to produce natural toxins that can halt shellfish harvesting have changed in the North East Atlantic over the last six decades, using data f...