Hawaiian Coral Bleaching Oceanographic Survey Data, November 2015

NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center collected oceanographic data from November 3-18, 2015 to assess the 2015 mass coral bleaching event in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Data includes conductivity, temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, and turbidity, collected via towed-diver surveys covering approximately 90 kilometers of transects. Measurements were taken continuously with a Seabird Electronics 19P CTD and auxiliary sensors mounted on a diver's towboard.

Use Cases

• Modeling coral bleaching stress based on temperature and depth time-series data
• Analyzing water quality impacts on reef ecosystems based on dissolved oxygen and turbidity measurements
• Correlating fluorescence data with algal biomass or phytoplankton presence near reefs
• Assessing spatial patterns of bleaching impact based on geographically referenced survey transects

Strengths

• Data collected over a two-week mission covering approximately 90 kilometers of transects
• Includes six key oceanographic parameters: conductivity, temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, and turbidity
• Surveys conducted at standardized depths ranging from ~1 meter to ~13 meters

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Data is provided in PDF format, which may complicate automated analysis
• Row count and sample data are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via modified towed-diver surveys using a Seabird Electronics 19P CTD with auxiliary sensors.

Time Range

November 3-18, 2015

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:59:12.675677; freshness should be verified

Geography

Main Hawaiian Islands (south Oahu, west Maui, Lanai, and west Hawaii island)