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Description

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has the statutory mandate to collect hydrographic data in support of nautical chart compilation for safe navigation and to provide background data for engineers, scientific, and other commercial and industrial activities. Hydrographic survey data primarily consist of water depths, but may also include features (e.g. rocks, wrecks), navigation aids, shoreline identification, and bottom type information. NOAA is responsible for archiving and distributing the source data as described in this metadata record.

Summary

Description

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has the statutory mandate to collect hydrographic data in support of nautical chart compilation for safe navigation and to provide background data for engineers, scientific, and other commercial and industrial activities. Hydrographic survey data primarily consist of water depths, but may also include features (e.g. rocks, wrecks), navigation aids, shoreline identification, and bottom type information. NOAA is responsible for archiving and distributing the source data as described in this metadata record.

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Description

The U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) operates the Global Argo Data Repository (GADR) as the long-term archive for the International Global Argo Project (for additional information about Argo, see http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/ (last accessed August 2009)). Argo data archived by the US NODC on a weekly basis starting the second quarter of FY 2003, may include real-time and/or delayed-mode profiles of ocean temperature and salinity, as well as related conductivity and/or pressure measurements (if any), collected by Argo profiling floats.

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Description

As part of the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Program, the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) was responsible for the at-sea collection, quality control and processing, and delivery of these CTD data in netCDF files to the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC). NDBC collected these CTD data during a cruise to service the TAO array of moorings.

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Description

The Integrated Science Data Management (ISDM) office processes oceanographic profiles reported for the world oceans in near real-time from the Global Telecommunicatons System (GTS) for the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Program (GTSPP). These data also support the activities of the Ship of Opportunity Programme Implementation Panel (SOOPIP) and the WOCE Upper Ocean Thermal Program (WOCE UOT). The ISDM sends a copy of these data to the US NODC three times each week. The US NODC began archiving these data on a weekly basis in November 1990. Each weekly collection may include real-time profiles of ocean temperature and salinity, as well as related conductivity and/or pressure and meteorological measurements (if any), collected by expendable bathythermograph (XBT), drifting buoy, moored buoy, and/or profiling floats.

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To better understand the functional roles of parrotfishes on Caribbean coral reefs we documented abundance, habitat preferences, and diets of nine species of parrotfishes (Scarus coelestinus, Scarus coeruleus, Scarus guacamaia, Scarus taeniopterus, Scarus vetula, Sparisoma aurofrenatum, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Sparisoma rubripinne, Sparisoma viride) on three high-relief spur-and-groove reefs (Molasses, Carysfort, and Elbow) offshore of Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. On each reef, we conducted fish surveys, behavioral observations, and benthic surveys in three habitat types: high-relief spur and groove (depth 2 - 6 m), low-relief carbonate platform/hardbottom (depth 4 - 12 m), and carbonate boulder/rubble fields (depth 4 - 9 m). In addition, fish surveys were also conducted on a fourth high-relief spur-and-groove reef (French). We estimated parrotfish abundance in each of the three habitat types in order to assess the relative abundance and biomass of different species and to quantify differences in habitat selection. To estimate parrotfish density, we conducted 20 to 30 minute timed swims while towing a GPS receiver on a float on the surface to calculate the amount of area sampled. During a swim the observer would swim parallel with the habitat type being sampled and count and estimate the size to the nearest cm of all parrotfishes greater than or equal to 15 cm in length that were encountered in a 5 m wide swath. To quantify parrotfish behavior, approximately six individuals of each species were observed at each site for 20 min each. Foraging behavior was recorded by a SCUBA diver while towing a GPS receiver (Garmin GPS 72) attached to a surface float, which obtained position fixes of the focal fish at 15 s intervals. Fish were followed from a close distance (~ 2 m when possible), and food items were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, with macroalgae and coral usually identified to genus or species. Many bites involved scraping or excavating substrate colonized by a multi-species assemblage of filamentous “turf” algae and crustose coralline algae (CCA). Thus, multiple species of filamentous algae, endolithic algae, and CCA could be harvested in a single bite, and it was impossible to determine the specific species of algae targeted. We also recorded the type of substrate targeted during each foraging bout, categorizing each substrate as one of the following: (1) dead coral, (2) coral pavement, (3) boulder, (4) rubble, or (5) ledge. Dead coral included both convex and concave surfaces on the vertical and horizontal planes of three dimensional coral skeletons (primarily dead Acropora palmata) that were attached to reef substrate. Coral pavement was carbonate reef with little topographic complexity (i.e., flat limestone pavement). Boulder was large remnants of dead mounding corals not clearly attached to the bottom and often partially buried in sand. Coral rubble consisted of small dead coral fragments (generally < 10 cm in any dimension) that could be moved with minimal force. Ledges consisted entirely of the undercut sides of large spurs in the high-relief spur and groove habitat. In order to quantify the relative abundance of different food types, we estimated the percent cover of algae, coral, and other sessile invertebrates on each of the five substrates commonly targeted by parrotfishes (dead coral, coral pavement, boulder, rubble, or ledge) in 0.5 m x 0.5 m photoquadrats. We photographed a total of 8 haphazardly selected quadrats dispersed throughout the study site for each substrate type at each of the three sites (N = 24 quadrats per substrate type, N = 120 quadrats total). Each photoquadrat was divided into sixteen 12 cm x 12 cm sections which were individually photographed, and percent cover was estimated from 9 stratified random points per section (N = 144 point per quadrat).

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Description

The NOAA Atlantic Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS) dataset comprises output fields from the daily operational RTOFS model runs conducted at the National Centers for Atmospheric Prediction. Each model run produces a series of gridded fields containing results of model computations for ocean temperature, salinity, currents, sea-surface height, and possibly other properties. The fields are encoded in the standard GRIdded Binary (GRIB) file format. NODC compiles a series of files into monthly accessions to facilitate archival storage and public access. Two different sets of output fields are included: 1) daily 3-dimensional fields reported on the model's native hybrid (isopycnal plus z-level) vertical coordinates (note: prior to June 6, 2007, these fields are interpolated to z-levels); and 2) hourly fields reported for the surface level only. Each daily model run produces a 24-hr hindcast as well as forecasts out to 120 hours.

Summary

Description

As part of the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Program, the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) was responsible for the at-sea collection, quality control and processing, and delivery of these CTD data in netCDF files to the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC). NDBC collected these CTD data during a cruise to service the TAO array of moorings.

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The Hood Canal Steelhead Project is a 17-year before-after-control-impact experiment that tests the effects of supplementation on natural steelhead populations in Hood Canal. There are three supplemented and four control (non-supplemented) populations that are being monitored for adult and juvenile abundance, life history, and genetic diversity. The project is quantifying early marine survival and behavior and ecological interactions between hatchery and wild fish. Project data

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Description

These data represent data collected from the Shipboard Environmental (data) Acquisition System (SEAS), a program developed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide accurate meteorological and oceanographic data in real time from ships at sea through the use of satellite data transmission techniques. The system transmits data through either the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) or the International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT C) satellites to NOAA for use in weather, climatological and ocean models. NOAA is actively participating in an international effort to increase the number of subsurface temperature observations in support of global oceanographic and climate studies. NOAA's Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) program, SEAS, currently supports about 80 Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS). SEAS XBT data are archived by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) on a weekly basis.

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Description

The U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) operates the Global Argo Data Repository (GADR) as the long-term archive for the International Global Argo Project (for additional information about Argo, see http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/ (last accessed September 2007)). Argo data archived by the US NODC on a weekly basis starting the second quarter of FY 2003, may include real-time and/or delayed-mode profiles of ocean temperature and salinity, as well as related conductivity and/or pressure measurements (if any), collected by Argo profiling floats.

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Description

The HOT program makes repeated observations of the physics, biology and chemistry at a site approximately 100 km north of Oahu, Hawaii. Two stations are visited about once a month: Kahe Point (Station 1: 21.34N, 158.27W) and Station ALOHA (Station 2: 22.75N, 158W). Various other stations are made intermittently in support of similar research objectives or mooring deployments. HOT CTD data are collected using a SeaBird CTD 9-11 Plus with dual sensors at the maximum sampling rate of 24 samples per second (24 Hz). They are screened for errors and processed to 2-dbar averages. This NODC Accession contains CTD data for HOT cruises 122-154 during 2001 - 2003. Thermosalinograph and Niskin bottle data from these cruises are available in separate NODC Accessions.

Summary

Summary

Description

The U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) operates the Global Argo Data Repository (GADR) as the long-term archive for the International Global Argo Project (for additional information about Argo, see http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/ (last accessed September 2004)). Argo data archived by the US NODC on a weekly basis starting the second quarter of FY 2003, may include real-time and/or delayed-mode profiles of ocean temperature and salinity, as well as related conductivity and/or pressure measurements (if any), collected by Argo profiling floats.

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Description

MBT data were collected from the USS WARBLER in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of Opportunity from 04 March 1963 to 04 March 1963. The platform was equipped and staffed to observe weather and sea conditions. Data were processed by NODC to the NODC standard Universal Bathythermograph Output (UBT) format. Full format description is available from NODC at www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-Archive/bt.html. The UBT file format is used for temperature-depth profile data obtained using the mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument. The maximum depth of MBT observations is approximately 285 m. Therefore, MBT data are useful only in studying the thermal structure of the upper layers of the ocean. Cruise information, date, position, and time are reported for each observation. The data record comprises pairs of temperature-depth values. Temperature data in this file are recorded at uniform 5 m depth intervals.

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XBT/CTD comparison data collected near the Bransfield Strait

Summary

Description

As part of the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Program, the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) was responsible for the at-sea collection, quality control and processing, and delivery of these CTD data in netCDF files to the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC). NDBC collected these CTD data during a cruise to service the TAO array of moorings.

Summary

Description

The NOAA Atlantic Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS) dataset comprises output fields from the daily operational RTOFS model runs conducted at the National Centers for Atmospheric Prediction. Each model run produces a series of gridded fields containing results of model computations for ocean temperature, salinity, currents, sea-surface height, and possibly other properties. The fields are encoded in the standard GRIdded Binary (GRIB) file format. NODC compiles a series of files into monthly accessions to facilitate archival storage and public access. Two different sets of output fields are included: 1) daily 3-dimensional fields reported on the model's native hybrid (isopycnal plus z-level) vertical coordinates (note: prior to June 6, 2007, these fields are interpolated to z-levels); and 2) hourly fields reported for the surface level only. Each daily model run produces a 24-hr hindcast as well as forecasts out to 120 hours.

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Description

Discrete bottle profiles obtained as part of the JGOFS - HOT (Hawaii Ocean Time-series) up to December 2007.

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