North Atlantic Marine Toxic Substances Survey 1983-1984

EFFLUENT - DISCHARGE DESCRIPTION and Other Data from GYRE and Other Platforms from 1983-07 14 to 1984-06-07 contains marine toxic substances and pollutants data processed by the NODC to its F144 standard format. The dataset includes ambient concentration data from laboratory analyses of water, sediment, and marine organism samples collected during monitoring surveys in the North Atlantic Ocean. Information covers survey logistics, station conditions, sample characteristics, and chemical concentrations identified by CAS registry numbers.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial and temporal trends of specific pollutants using CAS-identified chemical concentration values and station position data.
• Correlating pollutant levels with environmental conditions using recorded meteorological data, sea surface conditions, and sample depth.
• Studying discharge site impacts by examining reported location, depth, distance to shore, and average volume characteristics.
• Linking contaminant concentrations to biological samples via the 12-digit NODC Taxonomic Codes for marine organisms.

Strengths

• Data is structured to a standardized format (NODC F144), ensuring consistent reporting of chemical, environmental, and sample metadata.
• Provides a defined temporal scope of nearly one year, from July 1983 to June 1984, for time-series analysis.
• Includes multiple sample types (water, sediment, organisms) and detailed ancillary data on collection methods and environmental conditions.

Limitations

• Core quantitative metrics like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all provided sources.
• The dataset's age (1980s) may limit its relevance for assessing current pollution levels without complementary modern data.
• A conflict exists in 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2026-03-06 on datagov vs. 1984-06-07 on nasa_earthdata), creating uncertainty about maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Laboratory analyses of field samples collected from research vessels (e.g., GYRE, OCEANUS), processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Time Range

1983-07-14 to 1984-06-07

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:24:48.084363

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean