Antarctic Benthic Community and Water Quality Near Scott Base, 1991

Antarctic marine benthic community data from two sites near Scott Base, Pram Point and Cape Armitage, collected in 1991. The dataset includes surveys of community assemblage, tissue samples from 20 bivalves for heavy metals and hydrocarbons, and water samples analyzed for faecal coliform bacteria. The data was reported by SCIOPS and last updated in November 1991.

Use Cases

• Assess long-term environmental conditions based on bivalve tissue concentrations of heavy metals and hydrocarbons.
• Compare benthic community assemblage between an outfall site and a control site.
• Analyze water quality for faecal coliform contamination at different depths in the water column.
• Investigate potential physical impacts like sediment disturbance from base activities on reef slopes.

Strengths

• Includes data from two distinct sites for comparison: Pram Point (outfall) and Cape Armitage (control).
• Combines multiple data types: community surveys, tissue analysis from 20 bivalves, and water sample analysis.
• Water samples were taken from two depths (5m and 25m) on three occasions, providing temporal and vertical profiles.

Limitations

• Last updated 1991-11 09 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS via nasa_earthdata

Collection Method

Field surveys, tissue sample collection, and laboratory water analysis.

Time Range

1991

Freshness

Last updated 1991-11-09 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Antarctica, specifically Pram Point and Cape Armitage near Scott Base.