Timor-Leste Coral Reef Water Chemistry from NOAA CREP, 2013-2014

NOAA's Coral Reef Ecosystem Program collected discrete water samples at reef and surface levels in Timor-Leste during 2013 and 2014. The data includes measured total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon, with derived parameters like pH and aragonite saturation state calculated from temperature, salinity, and depth. Samples were analyzed by NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory to establish ecological baselines for climate change at fixed survey sites.

Use Cases

• Modeling seawater carbonate system dynamics based on measured total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon.
• Assessing climate change impacts on coral reefs based on calculated aragonite saturation state.
• Establishing ecological baselines for reef health based on multi-year sampling at fixed sites.
• Comparing reef-level versus surface-level water chemistry based on discrete samples collected by SCUBA divers.

Strengths

• Data collection spans two years (2013 and 2014), providing a temporal perspective.
• Samples were collected at both reef and surface levels, offering a vertical profile.
• Analysis was conducted by the authoritative NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

Limitations

• Water chemistry data is only available for a subset of sites (5 out of 8 established climate survey sites).
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Discrete water samples collected by SCUBA divers and analyzed in a laboratory.

Time Range

2013-2014

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:58:32.104858; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coral reef habitats in Timor-Leste (sites include Baucau, Atauro, Bobonaro).