Mid-Atlantic Bight Water Column Nutrients and Chlorophyll from NEMP Cruises

From 1980 to 1984, the dataset contains oceanographic measurements from 18 research cruises in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. It includes tabular data on temperature, nutrients, chlorophyll a, and phytoplankton observations. The data was collected by the Ocean Assessment Division of the National Ocean Service to support trend assessments.

Use Cases

• Analyze chlorophyll a concentrations against nutrient levels to study primary productivity.
• Model temperature and nutrient relationships across different sampling locations and times.
• Identify phytoplankton community trends from observational data over the four-year period.
• Assess spatial and temporal variability in water quality parameters within the Mid-Atlantic Bight.

Strengths

• Data collected over a multi-year period from 1980 to 1984.
• Includes measurements from 18 distinct research cruises.
• Covers multiple key oceanographic parameters: temperature, nutrients, chlorophyll a, and phytoplankton.

Limitations

• Sample size and row count are unknown.
• Data is over 40 years old and may not reflect current conditions.
• Original data format is analog, requiring digitization from cruise reports.

Provenance

Source

Ocean Assessment Division, National Ocean Service (NOAA).

Collection Method

Ship-based water column monitoring and sample analysis during dedicated research cruises.

Time Range

21 April 1980 to 24 April 1984.

Freshness

Data collection ended on 24 April 1984.

Geography

Mid-Atlantic Bight region of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.