Gulf of Mexico Demersal Fish Survey from DeSoto Canyon Cruise

Gulf of Mexico fish data were collected in DeSoto Canyon during the R/V Apalachee cruise AP-1509 from July 1 to July 9, 2015. The dataset includes biological measurements, set locations, and environmental parameters from fish traps and demersal longlines. It was produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to examine species assemblage and relative abundance differences.

Use Cases

• Analyzing species assemblage composition using recorded species data from trap and longline sets.
• Mapping fish catch locations and correlating with environmental factors using latitude, longitude, depth, and water temperature columns.
• Studying fish size distributions and growth patterns using recorded length and weight measurements for individual species.
• Comparing fishing gear effectiveness by examining catch data associated with specific gear and bait types.

Strengths

• Data collection is precisely documented to a specific 9-day cruise (AP-1509, July 1-9, 2015) and geographic area (DeSoto Canyon).
• Includes multiple data dimensions: biological (length, weight), spatial (latitude, longitude), and environmental (depth, temperature).
• Dataset is hosted by NOAA and appears on multiple platforms (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata), indicating curation and broad accessibility.

Limitations

• Key quantitative details are missing from all sources: total row count, file size, and specific column names are unknown.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2015-07 09 vs. 2026-03-05), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected using fish traps and demersal longlines during the R/V Apalachee cruise AP-1509.

Time Range

2015-07-01 to 2015-07-09

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:58:33.830590

Geography

DeSoto Canyon, Gulf of Mexico