Surface Drogued Drifter, ThermoSalinoGraph, CTD and ADCP Data collected in Cook Inlet on R/V Nanuq during July and August, 2024

Surface Drogued Drifter Data: Pacific Gyre Carthe (surface drogued) drifters were deployed off of R/V Nanuq in Cook Inlet during July, 2024. Drifters were deployed, recovered (when possible), and re-deployed over very approximately 48 hour time frames. GPS position data were recorded every 5 minutes. Drifter positions were lightly processed and saved in a CSV format. ThermoSalinoGraph Data: ThermoSalinoGraph data was collected from a 2-week program aboard the R/V Nanuq in Cook Inlet during August, 2024. The intake port for the through-flow system was ~1 m depth. Temperature and salinity estimates are recorded at 5 second intervals, and were save in CSV format with their associated timestamp (in UTC, decimal days since year 0000; 2024-July-01 at 00:00 is 739434.00). The TSG intake was obstructed with flotsam on July 25, so no data were collected that sampling day. The TSG also collected data during the transit Nanuq's home port (Seward) to the study site (Cook Inlet), as well as the return trip. Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP) CTD Data: Profiles of pressure, temperature and conductivity (CTD) and derived salinity were collected from an AML Oceanographic Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP) while aboard R/V Nanuq from 7/19/2024 - 7/30/2024. Two main transects between Kalgin Island and the city of Kenai were occupied for 6 to 12 hours, depending on sampling day, where the MVP tow-body undulated between the surface and within ~2 m of the seafloor depth while underway. The vessel speed over ground was approximately 4 knots. Data captured tidal cycles of major rip current features in Cook Inlet. The NUQ202413S_MVP_data_raw.csv data file has columns of longitude (deg. E), latitude (deg. N), time (decimal days since year 0000), tow-body/CTD depth (m), temperature (C), and salinity (PSU). While the vessel was underway, each profile had the latitude/longitude/time associated with the beginning of the cast. ADCP Velocity Profile Data: A Teledyne RDI Sentinel V Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) was used to collect ocean velocity profiles aboard R/V Nanuq from July 19, 2024 to July 30,2024. The ADCP was pole-mounted to the port side of the R/V Nanuq. Two primary transects west of the city of Kenai were occupied for 6 - 12, repeating the line every 30 - 60 minutes, which provided insights into the tidal evolution of the strong rip currents in the region.