Gulf of Mexico Slope Study: Chemical and Biological Data from 1983-1984

NOAA NCEI Accession 8400119 contains chemical, benthic organism, and fish/shellfish data from the Gulf of Mexico North Continental Slope Study. Alaska Research Associates submitted data collected via moored current meters and other instruments from November 11, 1983, to November 13, 1984. The dataset is processed into standard NODC formats F004, F123, and F132.

Use Cases

• Correlate benthic organism biomass and species abundance with bottom temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen measurements.
• Analyze fish and shellfish catch statistics (weight, volume) against concurrent current velocity (east-west, north-south components) and meteorological conditions.
• Model relationships between chemical parameters like phosphate, nitrate, and chlorophyll concentration and physical parameters like water temperature and transmissivity.
• Study temporal changes in suspended solids and ammonia levels over the one-year sampling period at mooring stations.

Strengths

• Data spans a full year of continuous monitoring from November 1983 to November 1984.
• Integrates three distinct data types: water physics/chemistry, fish/shellfish resources, and benthic organisms.
• Standardized into established NODC formats (F004, F123, F132) with documented code descriptions.

Limitations

• Exact row counts, column names, and sample sizes are unknown from the provided metadata.
• Data is temporally stale, collected over 40 years ago, limiting analysis of current conditions.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Gulf of Mexico North Continental Slope.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Collected via moored current meter casts and other instruments; submitted by Alaska Research Associates, Inc.

Time Range

1983-11-11 to 1984-11-13

Freshness

null

Geography

Gulf of Mexico, specifically the North Continental Slope.