Deep Sea Coral Genetic Barcodes and Images from 2009-2014 West Coast Surveys

A collection of genetic barcodes and SEM images for verified voucher specimens of deep-sea corals collected as bycatch during the 2009-2014 West Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey. The dataset was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support accurate species identification and understanding of population structure. It addresses taxonomic challenges in distinguishing morphologically similar coral species.

Use Cases

• Species identification and taxonomic classification based on genetic barcode sequences.
• Analyzing population structure and genetic connections between distant coral colonies.
• Cross-referencing morphological features with genetic data using SEM images.
• Assessing the effects of habitat loss and trawling impacts on deep-sea coral biodiversity.

Strengths

• Includes genetic barcodes for all verified voucher specimens, providing a molecular identification foundation.
• Contains SEM images for some species, allowing for morphological validation.
• Data collected over a 5-year period (2009-2014) from a standardized survey.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific trawl survey.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Collection Method

Specimens collected as bycatch during the West Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey.

Time Range

2009 to 2014.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:53:25.296021; freshness should be verified.

Geography

West Coast of the United States.