JS-0815: Marine Sediment Chemistry and Benthic Ecology in the Gulf of Mexico

Sediment cores from the southern Gulf of Mexico, collected aboard R/V Justo Sierra cruise JS-0815 between July 31 and August 8, 2015, contain detailed chemical and biological measurements. The dataset includes concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and biomarkers analyzed by GC-MS, FTICR-MS mass spectrometry data, sediment texture, short-lived radioisotope profiles, and species-level benthic foraminiferal assemblages. This multi-faceted data supports integrated studies of pollution, sedimentology, and ecosystem health in a marine environment.

Use Cases

• Tracing hydrocarbon pollution sources based on PAH and biomarker (hopanes, steranes) concentration profiles.
• Assessing benthic ecosystem health by correlating infauna abundance and diversity metrics with sediment contaminant levels.
• Modeling sediment accumulation and mixing rates using short-lived radioisotope (SLRad) data from core sub-samples.
• Characterizing organic matter composition in sediments using Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) mass-to-charge and intensity data.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple analytical techniques (GC-MS, FTICR-MS, radioisotope dating) on the same core samples, enabling cross-disciplinary analysis.
• Provides high-resolution sediment sampling at 2mm intervals for surficial units and 5mm intervals deeper in cores.
• Includes species-level identification of benthic foraminifera, allowing for detailed paleoecological or ecological assessments.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, specific column names, and data license are not provided by any source platform.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2015-08-08 vs. 2026-03-05) create uncertainty about data currency and maintenance.
• The dataset's scale (number of cores, sampling sites) is not quantified, making it difficult to assess its scope.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (NCEI Accession 0226973), collected during R/V Justo Sierra cruise JS-0815.

Collection Method

Marine sediment cores collected with multiple corers, sectioned, freeze-dried, and analyzed via standardized laboratory protocols (e.g., solvent extraction, GC-MS, FTICR-MS).

Time Range

2015-07-31 to 2015-08-08

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:33:08.930871

Geography

Southern Gulf of Mexico