Oceanographic and Biological Measurements from Gulf of Mexico Moored Instruments

From 1977-10-18 to 1979-05-01, this collection contains oceanographic and biological data from moored instruments in the Gulf of Mexico. It includes current meter data, zooplankton and benthic organism samples, and wind wave spectra, processed by NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into standard formats. The data were submitted by Texas A&M University as part of the Brine Disposal project.

Use Cases

• Analyze relationships between current direction and speed and zooplankton abundance using the F005 and F124 format data.
• Model benthic organism biomass distribution relative to bottom depth and salinity from the F132 format records.
• Correlate dominant wave direction, height, and period with concurrent wind direction and speed measurements.
• Study ichthyoplankton (fish larvae) counts by species in relation to sampling temperature and gear type from F124 subsample data.

Strengths

• Data spans over 1.5 years from October 1977 to May 1979.
• Includes multiple standardized NODC formats (F005, F124, F132) covering distinct oceanographic and biological domains.
• Current meter data provides high temporal resolution, typically reported at 10-15 minute intervals.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes for zooplankton and benthic data are unknown.
• Data is temporally stale, collected over 40 years ago, limiting applicability to current ecosystem studies.
• Geographic coverage is restricted to the Gulf of Mexico, introducing regional bias.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information)

Collection Method

Data collected via moored current meter casts and other sampling instruments, processed to NODC standard formats.

Time Range

1977-10-18 to 1979-05-01

Freshness

null

Geography

Gulf of Mexico