National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Carbonate chemistry data collected in the Atlantic Ocean

This collection contains carbonate chemistry data collected at both random and fixed long-term sites in the Atlantic basin. These data are collected and analyzed to assess spatial and temporal variation in the seawater carbonate systems of coral reef ecosystems and include a variety of sampling methods. With the first method water samples are collected by hand at the surface, either from a boat or by SCUBA divers. The second method uses subsurface autosamplers to collect water samples. The final method is sampling of surface waters from specified locations around the Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-Bed (AOAT) buoy. Water samples are gathered around the buoy on a monthly basis and the analyzed data are used to help calibrate buoy sensors. This is referred to as calibration validation (CalVal) data and is included within this collection as it still provides a useful look into the carbonate chemistry of the surrounding area. Samples within these datasets are either collected singularly or as part of a diurnal set.

After collection, the samples are processed by the Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) where they are analyzed for a variety of carbonate chemistry parameters which can often include but are not limited to total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Some of the datasets in this collection may also contain parameters calculated by AOML staff such as pH, pCO2, and aragonite saturation rate. These data are collected and analyzed as part of NOAA's ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP), with support from NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program (OAP).