Collection of in situ monitoring data in the Southern California Bight 1950-2017 for model validation

This set of oceanic monitoring surveys represent 1950-2017 monitoring data in the Southern California Bight used for model validation in (Kessouri et al 2020, and Deutsch et al, 2020). The data come from (1) the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) program, initiated in the 1950s, samples the SCB quarterly each year, collecting hydrographic and biogeochemical measurements in coordination with the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS). These observations are augmented nearshore by (2) quarterly surveys of nearshore water column and benthic parameters conducted collaboratively since 1990 by POTW agencies as a part of their regulatory monitoring requirements. These programs provide good temporal and geographical coverage of both the offshore (CalCOFI) and nearshore (POTW) areas, coinciding with the model period, and include publicly available water quality data for targeted sites measured quarterly.  We validated model output against observed temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonium, chlorophyll, carbon-system parameters (pH and aragonite saturation state), primary production, and nitrification (McLaughlin et al, 2020).