NOAA NCEI Accession 0084636 contains images of Gorgonian Corals captured during two research cruises in the Gulf of Mexico. The collection was created by Dr. Charles R. Fisher of Pennsylvania State University in direct response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill event. Images were taken from November 3 to December 14, 2010, using ROV Jason II and DSV Alvin submersibles.
Use Cases
- Classify coral health status from visual features in the image data.
- Analyze spatial distribution of Gorgonian corals using associated dive location and depth metadata.
- Train image segmentation models to identify coral colonies and potential oil residue.
- Correlate coral imagery with specific dive dates (e.g., J2-541, A4660) to assess temporal changes post-spill.
- Study benthic community composition by identifying associated fauna visible in the coral images.
Strengths
- Images collected during two dedicated cruises (RB-10-07, AT18-03) for a focused study.
- Data covers a specific 6-week period (2010-11-03 to 2010-12-14) following a major environmental event.
- Imagery captured using advanced submersible platforms (ROV Jason II, DSV Alvin).
Limitations
- Exact number of images, file formats, and resolution are unknown.
- Limited temporal scope to a 6-week period in late 2010, with no follow-up data provided.
- Geographic coverage is restricted to specific dive sites in the Gulf of Mexico.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Accession 0084636.
- Collection Method
- Images captured via Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Jason II and Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Alvin during research cruises.
- Time Range
- 2010-11-03 to 2010-12-14
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Gulf of Mexico, at specific dive sites from cruises RB-10-07 and AT18-03.