A 1978 survey collected benthic organisms from the Gulf of Mexico using sediment samplers aboard the SW RESEARCHER and other platforms. Data were submitted by Science Application, INC. for the Brine Disposal project and include species abundance, distribution, and biomass. The collection period spanned from February 3 to October 19, 1978.
Use Cases
- Analyze species_abundance and total_weight per species to model benthic biomass distribution across sampling stations.
- Correlate species distribution data with reported environmental variables like bottom_temperature, salinity, and sediment_characteristics.
- Use station_positions and cruise information to map the spatial coverage of the 1978 survey for historical comparison.
- Study temporal changes by comparing organism counts from this time_range with more recent benthic surveys.
Strengths
- Data collection followed a documented F132 format for biological surveys.
- Includes associated environmental data such as sea surface conditions and sediment characteristics per sampling site.
Limitations
- Dataset is temporally limited to a single year (1978), offering only a historical snapshot.
- Specific sample size, row count, and column details are unknown, limiting reproducibility assessments.
- Geographic coverage is confined to the Gulf of Mexico, which may not represent other marine regions.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
- Collection Method
- Field sampling using sediment sampler casts from research vessels.
- Time Range
- 1978-02-03 to 1978-10-19
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Gulf of Mexico