NOAA_NCEI archives benthic animal samples collected by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Marine Science from July 1990 to June 1991. Data were gathered using a bottom grab sampler from the R/V DAVIDSON and R/V BIG VALLEY as part of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project. The collection includes taxonomic identities and counts of organisms from Prince William Sound.
Use Cases
- Analyze changes in taxonomic_counts across sampling sites to assess oil spill impact on benthic community structure.
- Model species diversity and abundance using taxonomic_identities to evaluate ecosystem recovery over the one-year study period.
- Correlate benthic animal data with other environmental variables from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project for integrated impact assessment.
Strengths
- Data collection spans a focused one-year period (July 1990 to June 1991) post-spill.
- Includes specific taxonomic data (identities and counts) for benthic animals.
Limitations
- Sample size and spatial coverage within Prince William Sound are unknown.
- Dataset is temporally static, with no updates since the collection ended in 1991.
Provenance
- Source
- University of Alaska - Fairbanks / Institute of Marine Science (UAK/IMS), archived by NOAA_NCEI.
- Collection Method
- Samples collected from research vessels using a bottom grab sampler.
- Time Range
- 03 July 1990 to 25 June 1991
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA