Gulf of Mexico Benthic Organism Survey from 1979 Cruise

July to December 1979 data on bottom-dwelling marine organisms collected from the R/V EXCELLENCE in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas A&M University submitted the data as part of the Brine Disposal project. Records include species counts, weights, and associated environmental and cruise information.

Use Cases

• Analyze species_abundance and total_weight relationships with reported sediment_characteristics and bottom_temperature.
• Model species_distribution across sampling stations using reported latitude, longitude, and station_numbers.
• Study temporal changes in benthic biomass from start_date to end_date during the 1979 cruise.
• Correlate organism counts with environmental data like salinity and dissolved_oxygen reported at each site.

Strengths

• Data spans a defined 5-month cruise from July 30 to December 16, 1979.
• Includes multiple data dimensions: species counts, weights, cruise metadata, and environmental conditions.

Limitations

• Dataset is over 40 years old (1979), limiting relevance for current ecological studies.
• Specific sample size (row count) and geographic coverage granularity are unknown.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), submitted by Texas A&M University.

Collection Method

Field sampling using sediment sampler casts (e.g., grab or core) from the vessel EXCELLENCE.

Time Range

1979-07-30 to 1979-12-16

Freshness

1979-12-16

Geography

Gulf of Mexico