NCEI Accession 7900332 contains data on benthic organisms collected in the Gulf of Mexico using sediment samplers and net casts. Texas A&M University submitted the data with support from the Brine Disposal project. Sampling occurred from May 22, 1978, to April 20, 1979, aboard the vessels GUS III and EXCELLENCE.
Use Cases
- Analyze species_abundance and total_weight_of_organisms per species to model benthic community structure.
- Correlate species_distribution with environmental data like bottom_temperature, salinity, and sediment_characteristics reported at each sampling site.
- Study temporal changes using cruise information including vessel, start_and_end_dates, and station positions_and_times across the survey period.
Strengths
- Data includes multiple measured dimensions: species abundance, biomass, and concurrent environmental variables.
- Cruise metadata provides detailed context with investigator, institution, vessel, and equipment_and_methods for each survey.
Limitations
- Dataset is temporally stale, with collection ending over 40 years ago in April 1979.
- Specific sample size, row count, and geographic precision within the Gulf of Mexico are unknown.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), submitted by Texas A&M University.
- Collection Method
- Field sampling using sediment sampler and net casts (point sampling and tow methods).
- Time Range
- 1978-05-22 to 1979-04-20
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Gulf of Mexico