Bermuda Deep-Water Cave Expedition: Oceanographic Data 2009

Bermuda and its surrounding North Atlantic waters are the focus of this dataset from a 2009 research expedition. The data supports the study of deep-water marine caves, which are considered frontiers for discovering new fauna, including eyeless and colorless crustaceans. More than 150 limestone caves are known in the region, providing a context for exploring cave-adapted 'living fossil' species.

Use Cases

• Studying the distribution of cave-adapted fauna based on descriptions of eyeless and colorless invertebrates.
• Identifying potential locations for deep-water cave exploration using the geological history of Bermuda.
• Comparing shallow-water (<50m) and deep-water cave ecosystems referenced in the expedition's research context.
• Analyzing biological evidence for 'living fossils' and their relation to deep-sea organisms.

Strengths

• Data is associated with a specific NOAA research expedition (RV Endurance) with a defined time range (September 5-30, 2009).
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates established provenance and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: column names, row counts, file size, and specific data formats are unknown.
• Conflicting freshness: one source lists a last update in 2026, while another lists 2009, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• The dataset description is highly repetitive across sources, suggesting limited descriptive detail about the actual data contents.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected during the Bermuda: Search for Deep Water Caves expedition on the RV Endurance.

Time Range

September 5, 2009 - September 30, 2009

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:30:14.944793

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean near the island of Bermuda