Biological Data for Biological Baseline Studies of Mobile Bay: Benthic Fauna 1980-1981 (NODC Accession 0116100)

Beginning in late 1979, the Alabama Coastal Area Board (CAB) funded a series of baseline surveys on the coastal resources of Alabama, from which they could develop a monitoring program to observe any significant changes in the resources over time.

Eight stations within Mobile Bay, Alabama were sampled monthly from April 1980 to April 1981. Data collected included samples for benthic fauna, pelagic fauna, sediment particle size, total organic carbon, foraminifera, zooplankton, phytoplankton, chlorophyll, turbidity, river flow, and hydrographic parameters.

The subset of data presented here are for the benthic fauna, which were sampled by 0.1 m^2 Peterson grab. Fauna were enumerated and identified to the lowest taxon possible, and mainly included crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, and echinoderms. Data in readily accessible digital form are available from April 1980 to February 1981.

Purpose: To provide benchmark data to the Alabama Coastal Area Board (CAB) for distribution, abundance, and seasonality of benthic infauna, phytoplankton, zooplankton, foraminifera, epifaunal invertebrates and fishes. CAB became part of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) in 1982, and ADEM became part of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) in 2000.