Sediment samples collected from the R/V EXCELLENCE in the Gulf of Mexico between October 1980 and February 1981. Texas A&M University submitted the data with support from the Brine Disposal project. The F132 format includes species counts, weights, and associated environmental measurements.
Use Cases
- Model species abundance and distribution using station positions, sampling dates, and reported environmental conditions like temperature and salinity.
- Analyze biomass trends by correlating total weight of organisms per species with sediment characteristics and bottom dissolved oxygen levels.
- Study temporal changes in benthic communities across the four-month cruise using station times and dates alongside species counts.
- Assess sampling methodology effectiveness by examining equipment and methods reported for each survey station.
Strengths
- Data includes multiple measured variables: species counts, organism weights, and environmental parameters like temperature and salinity.
- Cruise metadata is documented, including vessel name, investigator, institution, and station positions.
Limitations
- The exact number of sampling rows, stations, and unique species is unknown.
- Data is from a single, short cruise over 40 years ago, limiting temporal and spatial generalizability.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), submitted by Texas A&M University.
- Collection Method
- Field sampling using sediment samplers (grab or core) from a research vessel.
- Time Range
- 1980-10 23 to 1981-02-18
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Gulf of Mexico