Raw data from the benthic macroinvertebrate surveys conducted in Saginaw Bay in 2006-2009, and in Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay and North Channel, in 2007 and 2012. These basic benthic survey data provide number of each taxon in each replicate sample (abundance), density, and biomass.

This data set contains a single table of descriptions of benthic samples collected in 1998 at Nelson and Izembek lagoons, Alaska. This includes: the weight of the sample, the species or species group of benthic animals (also vegetation) and their number, size and weight, and the amount of sand and gravel. These data provide a basis for additional studies that includes sampling of the benthos in Nelson and/or Izembek lagoons. These data are important as historic information useful in examining long-term changes in the lagoons in light of changing climate.

These data provide a baseline inventory of submerged aquatic vegetation within Long Island's South Shore bays. The data were derived from conventional-color metric film diapositives obtained in June 2002 from the New York Department of State's Division of Coastal Resources. Benthic classifications follow the System for Classification of Habitats in Estuarine and Marine Environments (SCHEME). The study area spans approximately 443 square kilometers, extending from the west end of Long Beach Island in Nassau County eastward to Heady Creek at the east end of Shinnecock Bay in Suffolk County. The creation of this baseline inventory was a critical need identified in the Comprehensive Management Plan for the Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve. Established following the state legislature's passage of the Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve Act in 1993, the management plan aimed to protect and improve the estuary's ecosystem, enhance public access, and support sustainable economic activities. Ultimately, the goal was to sustain existing high-quality habitats and restore degraded areas to support the productivity of commercially and ecologically important estuarine species. The management plan also mandated a long-term monitoring program to evaluate progress toward estuarine resource improvement goals, building upon this foundational benthic habitat data. The layers available within the data download include biotic, geoform, and substrate. Partners: New York Department of State's Division of Coastal Resources

This dataset is a Moriches Bay benthic fauna study.

This inventory, conducted from September 26th to October 3th, 2019, aimed to describe the community structure of macroalgae and benthic macroinvertebrates of five small estuaries of the Upper North Shore of Quebec, namely Barthélemy Bay and the Colombier, Mistassini, Franquelin and Saint-Nicolas rivers. This inventory is part of a doctoral study of Valentine Loiseau on the global changes in the St. Lawrence system, mainly the study of marine benthic communities in response to changes of salinity, to ensure proper management of the environment in the face of future changes. The main objective is to describe the structure and the levels of specific diversities of mediolittoral communities of benthic macroinvertebrates and macroalgae along a salinity gradient.  These five small estuaries were selected because of their similar size, hard substrates and easy access. Three levels of hypoosmotic stress (low, medium, high) and one control level (seawater) were used for each of the selected estuaries, with eight quadrats per stress level. Quadrat positions were randomly selected but had to meet two criteria: (1) regular height in the foreshore to control the influence of other stresses (temperature, exposure); and (2) presence of at least one macroalga to maintain homogeneity. A percentage cover by macroalgal and macroinvertebrate species was estimated, and then all organisms were weighed by species and size group. The salinity of the nearest water point was measured at mid-tide with a portable refractometer and a Castaway-type CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Density) probe. The inventory was done using a stratified random sampling design and the sampling unit was a quadrat measuring 25 x 25 cm. The three files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "event_information" file includes the generic information of the quadrat, including date and location. The "additional_information_event_and_occurrence" file includes salinity and substrate type of the quadrat, as well as the total weight of all individuals of the same species caught in the quadrat extrapolated to one square metre of surface. For nudibranchs and barnacles, weight was estimated from the size of the individuals so that they were not removed from the environment. The "taxon_occurrence" file includes the taxonomic inventory of macroalgal and benthic macroinvertebrate species observed in the quadrat, identified to the lowest possible species or taxonomic level and biomass by identified species. For quality control, organisms were identified on the field using the following guide: Chabot, Robert et Anne Rossignol. 2003. Algues et faune du littoral du Saint-Laurent maritime : Guide d'identification. Institut des Sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Rimouski ; Pêches et Océans Canada (Institut Maurice-Lamontagne), Mont-Joli. 113 pages. The taxonomy was checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards and using the R obistools and worrms libraries. The WoRMS match was placed in the "scientificNameID" field of the occurrence file. All sample locations were spatially validated. This project was funded by DFO Coastal Environmental Baseline Program under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan. This initiative aims to acquire environmental baseline data contributing to the characterization of important coastal areas and to support evidence-based assessments and management decisions for preserving marine ecosystems.

This dataset contains metrics of benthic assemblages taken before (pre) and after (post) barrier island restoration of the Mississippi Barrier Islands, which included sand placement on Cat and Ship Islands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the barrier islands along the Mississippi-Alabama coast as critical habitats for certain threated and endangered shorebird species. Barrier islands are inherently dynamic environments, facing frequent natural disturbances and undergoing rapid change. Understanding the distribution and community responses of benthic communities is critical for predicting the impact that restoration efforts and natural disturbances will have on shorebird foraging habits in the Mississippi Barrier Islands. Data were collected at both reference and restoration sites in 2011, 2015, 2020, 2023. Sites were selected based on shorebird foraging habitat, proximity to sand placement, and potential sand borrow sites. The data provided here includes wet biomass, raw density and richness, mean density and richness, and species percent abundance. These data will be used to inform the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan (MAMP).

Benthic transects were repeated at 12 sites around Tutuila at various depths on the reef slopes and flats. Benthic coverage categories include coral species, invertebrates, and non-living substrate type. Annual surveys took place during 2005-2009. The most detailed data are from 2008. The data were provided as spreadsheets and metadata within a PDF document, focusing on the 2008 surveys. A related data set was can be found in NCEI Accession 0066319, which was derived from surveys in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Pago Pago (Rainmaker and Aua), and Fagasa (Sita Bay and Cape Larsen) conducted in 2004 and 2007-2008. Parameters include coral, algal, or invertebrate species, coral colony diameter size, and non-living bottom type. Also in 0066319 are summaries of species identification from sites above and Ofu-Olosega Islands, Ta'u Island, Aunu'u, Manu'a, and Rose Atoll, based on historic surveys back to 1917 are also given in spreadsheets. This is a working list put together by Dr. Charles Birkeland.