PACIFICA: Ocean Carbon and Chemistry Profiles from the Bering Sea, 2008

Discrete sample and profile data collected from the R/V MIRAI in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean from October 11 to November 7, 2008. The dataset includes measurements for dissolved inorganic carbon, pH, alkalinity, nutrients, oxygen, temperature, and salinity, collected using CTD, Coulometer, and bottle instruments by researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). These data were part of the PACIFICA project, an international synthesis effort for Pacific Ocean interior carbon parameters supported by PICES.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean acidification trends based on pH and dissolved inorganic carbon measurements.
• Studying nutrient cycling in subarctic waters based on nitrate, phosphate, and silicate data.
• Calibrating biogeochemical models using co-located CTD profile data for temperature, salinity, and pressure.
• Assessing marine carbon storage capacity based on alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon profiles.

Strengths

• Includes 12 key oceanographic parameters measured during a dedicated research cruise.
• Data collected over a 28-day period in a climatically important region (Bering Sea/North Pacific).
• Originates from a recognized international collaborative project (PACIFICA) and a major research institution (JAMSTEC).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single cruise in autumn 2008.

Provenance

Source

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), collected by Makio Honda and Masahide Wakita.

Collection Method

Discrete samples and continuous profiles collected using CTD, Coulometer for DIC, and bottle instruments during cruise MR08-05.

Time Range

2008-10-11 to 2008-11 07

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-05 22:43:44.430031; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean