Water column physical and chemical properties of Cenote Bang, a component of the Ox Bel Ha cave network within the subterranean estuary coastal aquifer of the Yucatan Peninsula, from December 2013 to January 2016

Subterranean estuaries extend inland into density-stratified coastal carbonate aquifers that contain a surprising diversity of endemic animals (mostly crustaceans) within a highly oligotrophic environment. How complex ecosystems thrive in this globally-distributed, cryptic habitat (termed anchialine) is poorly understood. The northeastern margin of the Yucatan Peninsula contains over 250 km of mapped, diver-accessible caves passages where previous studies have suggested chemoautotrophic processes are the source of carbon and energy sustaining the anchialine food web. This dataset, collected during four field events during U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program Field Activities 2015-013-FA and 2016-003-FA in conjunction with Texas A&M University reports geochemical properties of the water column from Cenote Bang, a component of the Ox Bel Ha cave network that is located 5 km inland from the coast.

地下河口（Subterranean estuaries）向内延伸至密度分层的沿海碳酸盐含水层，该类含水层的高度贫营养环境中蕴藏着种类丰富的特有动物类群（以甲壳类为主）。目前学界对这类全球分布的隐秘生境——锚地生境（anchialine）中复杂生态系统的维持机制仍知之甚少。尤卡坦半岛东北缘已测绘出250余公里可供潜水员进入的洞穴通道，既往研究表明，化能自养过程（chemoautotrophic processes）是支撑该区域锚地食物网的碳源与能量来源。本数据集采集自美国地质调查局（USGS）海岸与海洋地质学计划2015-013-FA与2016-003-FA野外作业期间的四次野外考察，联合得克萨斯农工大学（Texas A&M University）完成，测定了距海岸5公里内陆的奥贝尔哈（Ox Bel Ha）洞穴系统成员邦天然井（Cenote Bang）的水柱地球化学特征。