Tustumena Ferry Underway Oceanographic Measurements in the Gulf of Alaska

Four years of underway oceanographic measurements were collected aboard the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry Tustumena from September 15, 2004 through November 6, 2008. The system sampled water at 4 m depth to measure temperature, salinity, nitrate, chlorophyll fluorescence, colored dissolved organic matter fluorescence, and optical beam transmittance. This dataset provides a time series for studying the Alaska Coastal Current's physical, biological, and chemical properties.

Use Cases

• Tracking seasonal and interannual variability of phytoplankton nutrients based on nitrate concentration measurements.
• Assessing terrestrial runoff influence on coastal waters based on colored dissolved organic matter fluorescence.
• Analyzing suspended sediment transport patterns based on optical beam transmittance data.
• Correlating physical water properties with biological activity based on concurrent temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll fluorescence readings.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous four-year time series of coastal oceanographic variables.
• Includes measurements of five distinct oceanographic parameters from a consistent sampling platform.
• Data is processed using manufacturer software and recent calibration files, suggesting a standardized methodology.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not provided, limiting immediate usability.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between platforms (2008 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• The dataset size, row count, and specific file formats are unknown.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Underway measurement system sampling from the ship's sea chest at 4 m depth aboard the ferry Tustumena.

Time Range

September 15, 2004 through November 6, 2008

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:36:08.689088 (datagov), but conflicting with 2008-11-06 (nasa_earthdata).

Geography

Gulf of Alaska, specifically the Alaska Coastal Current, with mentions of Cook Inlet, Kachemak Bay, and Prince William Sound.