Shallow CTD Oceanographic Profiles from Pacific Reef Monitoring 2011-2012

126 shallow Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) profiling casts collected during 2011-2012 research cruises near Pacific islands, atolls, and banks. The Coral Reef Ecosystem Division of NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center gathered these vertical profiles to a maximum depth of 30 meters as part of the Pacific and American Samoa Reef Assessment and Monitoring Programs. Data includes core parameters of temperature, conductivity, and pressure, with auxiliary measurements like fluorometry and dissolved oxygen at select nearshore locations.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature and salinity (from conductivity) gradients in nearshore reef environments.
• Correlating dissolved oxygen and fluorometry measurements with biological productivity around islands and atolls.
• Mapping spatial hydrographic conditions across the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and American Samoa.
• Studying density (sigma-t) variations in island lagoons and surrounding waters.
• Validating satellite-derived sea surface data with in-situ profile measurements from specific locations like Wake Atoll, Guam, and Howland Island.

Strengths

• Contains 126 distinct CTD casts, providing a substantial sample size for the region and time period.
• Data collection followed structured monitoring programs (Pacific RAMP and ASRAMP), ensuring methodological consistency.
• Profiles include auxiliary oceanographic parameters like beam transmission and dissolved oxygen beyond core CTD data.
• Clear temporal coverage across two dedicated research cruises spanning from March 2011 to May 2012.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as exact row count, file size, data license, and complete column list are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last update dates exist between platforms (2012-05 18 vs. 2026-03-05), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• Profile depth is limited to a maximum of 30 meters, capturing only the shallowest ocean layer.

Provenance

Source

Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service.

Collection Method

Vertical downcast profiles collected at select nearshore locations from NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai during dedicated monitoring cruises.

Time Range

2011-2012

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:06:11.853538

Geography

Pacific islands, atolls, and banks including Wake Atoll, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM), and American Samoa.