ARCOS: Coastal Alabama Meteorological and Hydrographic Observations

ARCOS, a network operated by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, has collected continuous real-time data from fixed stations across coastal Alabama since 2003. Stations are strategically placed to sample across salinity gradients, from delta to offshore, measuring parameters like air temperature, wind speed, water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. This long-term, multi-parameter dataset supports environmental monitoring and resource management for the Gulf of Mexico region.

Use Cases

• Monitoring water quality trends based on continuous measurements of salinity, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature.
• Analyzing meteorological patterns using long-term records of air temperature, wind speed, and precipitation.
• Studying coastal salinity gradients using data from stations placed from delta to offshore.
• Supporting resource management decisions with real-time weather and water quality data.

Strengths

• Provides continuous, real-time data collection since 2003, offering a long-term observational record.
• Stations are strategically placed to sample across key environmental gradients, such as salinity.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in the available metadata.
• The exact license and detailed authorship information are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Dauphin Island Sea Lab, with support from NOAA.

Collection Method

Collected from a network of continuously sampling fixed observing stations.

Time Range

2003 to present.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-03-13 according to datagov.

Geography

Coastal Alabama, Gulf of Mexico.