Multiple cruises collected sediment cores from the northwestern margin of Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico between 2010 and 2017. The dataset compiles benthic foraminiferal assemblages, stable carbon and oxygen isotope measurements from Cibicidoides spp., and short-lived radioisotope measurements. Data were compiled and reported by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
Use Cases
- Calculate sediment accumulation rates using excess 210Pb (210Pbxs) activity derived from gamma spectrometry measurements.
- Reconstruct past ocean bottom water conditions by analyzing stable carbon and oxygen isotope values from Cibicidoides spp. specimens.
- Assess benthic ecosystem diversity and density using Fisher's Alpha and Shannon indices calculated from foraminiferal assemblages in surface sediment samples.
- Correlate sediment core records across the study region using location, date, and water depth metadata for each core.
Strengths
- Data collection spans over seven years from 2010-06-13 to 2017-07-19.
- Includes multiple data types: species assemblage counts, stable isotope measurements, and gamma spectrometry results for radioisotopes.
- Spatial coverage includes specific regions: the northwestern margin of Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico.
Limitations
- Sample size is unclear as the number of sediment cores and rows of data are not provided.
- Data is temporally static, with the last update in 2017, and may not reflect recent conditions.
- Geographic scope is limited to two specific regions, which may not be representative of the broader Gulf of Mexico.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA_NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information).
- Collection Method
- Sediment cores collected on multiple research cruises; stable isotopes measured on benthic foraminifera; radioisotopes analyzed by gamma spectrometry with HPGe detectors.
- Time Range
- 2010-06-13 to 2017-07-19.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Northwestern margin of Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico.