Benthic organisms were collected from the Gulf of Mexico aboard the vessel EXCELLENCE between January and November 1980. The dataset contains information on species abundance, distribution, and biomass from sediment sampler casts. Data were submitted by Texas A&M University as part of the Brine Disposal project.
Use Cases
- Analyze species abundance and total weight per species to model benthic community biomass.
- Map species distribution using reported station positions and times.
- Correlate organism counts with environmental data like bottom temperature, salinity, and sediment characteristics.
- Study temporal changes in benthic populations using cruise start and end dates across the sampling period.
Strengths
- Data collection spans a defined 10-month period from January to November 1980.
- Includes multiple data dimensions: species counts, weights, station positions, and environmental conditions.
Limitations
- Dataset is over 40 years old, limiting relevance for current ecological state analysis.
- 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 casts, following the F132 format for bottom-dwelling organism surveys.
- Time Range
- 1980-01-18 to 1980-11-04
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Gulf of Mexico