Inventory of oceanic fauna data including species, weight, and measurements from R/V Point Sur cruise PS19-04 (DP06) in the Gulf of Mexico from 2018-07-19 to 2018-08-01

This dataset contains the biological and environmental data for all of the species collected during R/V Point Sur cruise PS19-04 (DP06) in the Gulf of Mexico from 2018-07-19 to 2018-08-01. It includes an inventory of oceanic fauna data including species, weight, length, and other measurements. The main gear type used was a 10-m2 Multiple Opening Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS). The MOCNESS was fitted with 6 nets which were opened according to the following depth scheme: net 0 from the surface to 1500m, net 1 from 1500-1200m, net 2 from 1200-1000m, net 3 from 1000-600m, net 4 from 600-200m, and net 5 from 200m to the surface. Two trawls were conducted at each station sampled to capture diel vertical migration information; one during daylight hours between 9am-2:30pm CDT, and the other at 9pm-2:30am CDT. A dipnet and a neuston net were also used to collect sargassum and other animals from the surface for genetic and stable isotope analyses. A table of the taxonomic hierarchy used in the nekton database are included with references to those scientific names recently updated which are not yet reflected by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (www.itis.gov). The cruise documentation was provided for the R/V Point Sur cruise PS19-04 led by chief scientist Dr. Tracey Sutton. The MOCNESS sensor data collected during this cruise is available under GRIIDC Unique Dataset Identifier (UDI) R4.x257.000:0017 (DOI: 10.7266/n7-j3c9-4s47).