Chemical, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and other data from moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico during the Brine Disposal project, 17 April 1980 - 17 July 1981 (NODC Accession 8100731)

Current direction, chemical, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and other data were collected using moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico from April 17, 1980 to July 17, 1981. Data were submitted by Texas A&M University as part of the Brine Disposal project. Data has been been processed by NODC to the NODC standard F004- Water Physics and Chemistry, F028- Phytoplankton, F069- Marine Chemistry, and F124- Zooplankton formats. Full format descriptions are available from NODC homepage at http://www.noaa.nodc.gov.

The F004 format is used for data from measurements and analyses of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column. Among chemical parameters that may be recorded are salinity, PH, and concentration of oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, chlorophyll, and suspended solids. Physical parameters that may be recorded include temperature, density (sigma-t), transmissivity, and current velocity (east-west and north-south components). Cruise and station information, including environmental conditions of the study site at the time of observations, is also included.

The F028 format is used for data from the sampling and analysis of marine phytoplankton. Information on phytoplankton abundance, distribution, and productivity derived from these data support studies of marine populations and ecosystems. Data reported may include: position, date, and time of sampling; bottom depth and sampling depths; volume of water filtered; and concentration of cells, carbon concentration, wet and dry weight, and counts for each species reported. Comments may be relayed in a text record.

The F069 format is used for data from chemical analyses of seawater samples. Cruise information, position, date, and time is reported for each station along with sample depth, temperature, salinity, and density (sigma-t). Chemical and biochemical parameters that may be reported include: dissolved oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, inorganic phosphate, and silicate; dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, and particulate organic nitrogen; and apparent oxygen utilization, percent oxygen saturation, adenosine triphosphate, total phaeophytin, total chlorophyll, total suspended matter, total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbons, and total resolved light hydrocarbons.

The F124 format is used for data from sampling and analysis of marine zooplankton. Information on zooplankton abundance, distribution, and productivity derived from these data support studies of marine populations and ecosystems. Data reported may include: cruise information, position, date, and time of sampling; bottom depth, sampling depths, temperature, and salinity; gear type, volume of water filtered, total dry and wet weight, and other data for total haul; and data for subsamples by species. Data on zooplankton catch by species may include subsample size, zooplankton concentration, life history code, and numbers of adults, juveniles, eggs, and larvae. Estimated density of holoplankton and meroplankton and data on ichthyoplankton may also be reported. A text record is available for comments. Note: there are two options for reporting subsample counts of individuals at different life history stages. If life history codes are used, only number of adults should be reported on that record. Additional separate records should then be used to report number of juveniles and so on. Alternatively, life history codes may not be used and number of adults, juveniles, and so entered in the proper fields of a single record.