Sanctuary Quest 2002 Expedition Oceanographic Data

NOAA's Sanctuary Quest Expedition aboard the McArthur ship collected oceanographic data from the North Pacific Ocean along the U.S. coast from southern California to Washington state. The research focused on investigating marine sanctuaries from April 24 to June 20, 2002. This dataset supports understanding the role of sanctuary systems in protecting diverse marine life, including whales, sea otters, seabirds, and fish.

Use Cases

• Analyzing biodiversity patterns in relation to submerged geological features like canyons and seamounts.
• Monitoring marine sanctuary efficacy by examining species distribution data.
• Mapping deep-water habitats and geological structures for exploration planning.
• Studying regional oceanographic conditions to support long-term conservation research.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NOAA research expedition with a clear scientific mission.
• Covers a region known for one of the world's greatest diversities of marine life.
• Focuses on multiple national marine sanctuaries, providing a regional conservation framework.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last update dates exist between platforms (2006-04-01 on datagov vs. 2002-06-20 on nasa_earthdata).
• Data license and detailed collection methodology are unspecified.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Research, exploration, and monitoring conducted aboard NOAA Ship McArthur.

Time Range

2002-04-24 to 2002-06-20

Freshness

2006-04-01

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, U.S. coast from southern California to Washington state.