Stellwagen Bank Subsurface Current Model Outputs

Model outputs for surface and sub-surface currents were produced by University of Massachusetts-Boston researchers to examine spatial and temporal variability. The data supports a biogeographic assessment of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region. The dataset is hosted by NOAA NCEI and has been available on multiple government data platforms.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial patterns of subsurface currents to understand habitat connectivity.
• Examining temporal variability in current speed and direction for physical oceanography studies.
• Modeling the dispersal of larvae or pollutants based on simulated current flows.
• Integrating current model outputs with biological survey data for ecosystem assessment.

Strengths

• Data originates from a recognized research institution (University of Massachusetts-Boston).
• Dataset is hosted by an authoritative organization (NOAA NCEI).
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov indicates established use and importance.

Limitations

• Core metadata is incomplete: column names, row counts, and file sizes are unknown across all sources.
• There is a significant conflict in reported last update dates: NASA Earthdata shows 2006-09-01, while Data.gov shows a future date of 2026-03-13.
• The primary accessible format is PDF, which is not ideal for computational analysis of model grid data.

Provenance

Source

University of Massachusetts-Boston researchers, hosted by NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Ocean current model outputs generated for a specific biogeographic assessment project.

Freshness

2006-09-01

Geography

Region surrounding the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in the Northwest Atlantic.