Pulley Ridge Coral Connectivity: Drifter Buoy Trajectories 2012-2015

NOAA's Coral Ecosystem Connectivity project provides satellite-tracked drifting buoy data from the southwest Florida Shelf, including Pulley Ridge and Dry Tortugas. The data, collected between 2012 and 2015, supports an interdisciplinary study on larval transport between mesophotic reefs and the Florida Keys. Research focuses on connectivity for key reef species like red grouper and star coral to inform conservation management.

Use Cases

• Modeling larval transport pathways between Pulley Ridge and the Florida Keys based on surface current data.
• Analyzing community structure and economic value of mesophotic coral ecosystems described in the study.
• Calibrating bio-physical models of species connectivity for focal reef organisms like the red grouper.
• Tracking the spread of invasive species such as the Indo-Pacific lionfish using ocean current trajectories.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a multi-year period from 2012 to 2015, providing a temporal series for analysis.
• Study design is interdisciplinary, incorporating biological, physical, and economic assessments advised by a Stakeholder Advisory Board.
• Dataset has cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData, indicating recognized importance.

Limitations

• Column names and specific data schema are not provided in any source, limiting immediate usability.
• Metadata completeness is low; license, author, and precise row counts are unknown across platforms.
• A conflict exists in the 'last updated' metadata, with one source showing 2026 (likely a placeholder) and another 2016.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Satellite-tracked drifting buoys (CODE/DAVIS and mini SVP types) deployed on project cruises.

Time Range

2012 to 2015

Freshness

2016-05-12

Geography

Southwest Florida Shelf, including Pulley Ridge and Dry Tortugas, Atlantic Ocean.