Water Depth and Acoustic Backscatter Data from St. Croix, USVI, 2014

NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment conducted an 11th-year research mission aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster from March 12 to May 2, 2014. The data collection focused on the Red Hind and Mutton Snapper Marine Conservation Districts in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The mission gathered swath bathymetry and acoustical backscatter data, funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.

Use Cases

• Map seafloor topography and habitat based on swath bathymetry data
• Analyze seabed composition and texture using acoustical backscatter measurements
• Support marine spatial planning for conservation districts based on the described mission focus
• Model fish habitat suitability for species like Red Hind and Mutton Snapper based on the described research context

Strengths

• Data collected during a dedicated NOAA scientific research mission, the 11th year of an ongoing project
• Mission spanned a specific 52-day period from March 12 to May 2, 2014
• Focus on defined Marine Conservation Districts in St. Croix, USVI

Limitations

• Last updated 2014-05-02 00:00:00; freshness should be verified
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI

Collection Method

Collected via a scientific research mission onboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, including swath bathymetry and acoustical backscatter instruments.

Time Range

2014-03 12 to 2014-05-02

Freshness

Last updated 2014-05-02 00:00:00

Geography

Red Hind and Mutton Snapper Marine Conservation Districts, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (USVI)