Synthesis of doliolid imagery and oceanographic data from six ecosystems collected from multiple research cruises conducted between 2010 and 2019

Doliolids are common gelatinous grazers in marine ecosystems around the world. Aggregations or blooms of these organisms occur frequently, but they are difficult to measure or predict and ecological studies typically target a single region or site that does not encompass the range of possible habitats favoring doliolid proliferation. To address these limitations, we combined in situ imaging data from six coastal ecosystems, including the Oregon shelf, northern California, southern California Bight, northern Gulf of Mexico, Straits of Florida, and Mediterranean Sea, to resolve and compare doliolid habitat associations during warm months when environmental gradients are strong and doliolid blooms are frequently documented. The data analyzed were from multiple research cruises conducted between 2010 and 2019.