NOAA's National Status and Trends Benthic Surveillance Project quantified contaminant concentrations and biological effects in U.S. coastal waters from 1984 to 1992. The dataset includes measurements of organic and inorganic contaminants in fish livers and sediments, along with histopathological examinations of liver, kidney, and gill tissues. Data collection was conducted by the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science to assess environmental quality and detect long-term trends.
Use Cases
- Analyze correlations between contaminant concentrations in fish liver and the prevalence of necrotic lesions in liver tissue.
- Model temporal trends in sediment contaminant levels across U.S. coastal sites from 1984 to 1992.
- Classify fish health status using histopathological indicators from liver, kidney, and gill tissue examinations.
- Assess geographic patterns of fin erosion and other visible lesions relative to measured inorganic contaminant levels.
Strengths
- Multi-year time series covering a 9-year period from 1984 to 1992.
- Includes multiple data types: chemical contaminant measurements and biological pathology indicators.
- Nationwide coverage of U.S. coastal and estuarine waters.
Limitations
- Data collection ended in 1992, limiting analysis of recent trends.
- Specific sample sizes (row counts) and geographic site details are unknown.
- Histopathology focus shifted in 1987, potentially creating inconsistency in earlier disease condition records.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), via NASA Earthdata.
- Collection Method
- Field sampling to measure contaminants in fish livers and surficial sediments, combined with laboratory histopathological examinations.
- Time Range
- 1984 to 1992
- Freshness
- Data is historical, with the last update recorded in 1992.
- Geography
- Coastal and estuarine waters of the United States.