The National Status and Trends Program is comprised of three nationwide programs: Benthic Surveillance, Mussel Watch, and Bioeffects. These programs are in place to observe estuarine and coastal waters nationwide to describe the current status and detect changes in the environmental quality using long-term, continuous monitoring. Special Studies is another program which assesses the environmental impacts of different events, such as Hurricane Katrina. Mussel Watch is the longest continuous, nationwide contaminant monitoring program, running from 1986 to present, analyzing sediment and bivalve tissue for organic contaminants and trace metals. Bioeffects Assessment Program has completed over 30 regional studies since 1991, studying sediment contaminants, toxicity, and the condition of benthic communities. Benthic Surveillance monitored chemical concentrations of bottom-swelling fish and sediments, as well as biological effects of contaminant exposure. This project was discontinued in 1993.

The accession contains Sediment Toxicity data collected from Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay, New York Bight, North American Coastline-North, and Pamlico Sound as part of National Status and Trends (NS&T) program. The data was collected from multiple ships between March 18, 1991 and March 3, 1993 by National Ocean Service, Rockville, MD. Originator's Macintosh Excel data submitted by Dr. Edward R. Long were converted to Lotus 1-2-3 Format at NODC. NOAA initiated an area-wide survey of sediment toxicity in 1991 to provide internally-consistent data on the spatial extent and severity of the toxicity. The intent of this survey was to sample all of the major regions within the study area (Hudson-Raritan Estuary, 40 N and 73 - 74 W), collect surficial fine-grained sediments, and determine the degree of toxicity of the sediments to laboratory organisms. Three toxicity tests were performed: a 10-day, solid phase survival test with the amphipod ampelisca abdita, a 48-hour, elutriate/ liquid phase test of development/survival with the larvae of the clam mulinia lateralis, and a 15-minute organic extract test of bioluminescence with the bacterium photobacterium phosphoreum (microtox test). Data obtained from the study "magnitude and extent of sediment toxicity in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary" was submitted in spreadsheet format in Macintosh Excel. The documentation includes details of the stations, methodology, and summary of results. Additional information may be obtained by contacting: the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program which has monitored the concentrations of selected toxicants in sediments, oysters, and bottom-dwelling fish in Tampa Bay since 1986. The observation of high concentrations of some chemicals has prompted the NS&T Program to initiate an intensive survey of the biological effects of toxicants in the estuary. NOAA's assessment of the biological effects associated with toxicants in Tampa Bay was initiated with a research plan that involved analyses of three media: sediments, bivalve mollusks, and demersal fish. The sediment toxicity tests were intended to provide information based on laboratory tests in which "natural" factors would be controlled in assessing the significance of the toxicants, and to provide bioeffects information on a small spatial scale. Sediment samples for this study were collected in: Hills- borough Bay, all of Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, cockroach Bay, Terra Ceia Bay, Manatee River, Anna Maria Sound, St. Petersburg Harbor, Gulfport/Bear Creek, and Charlotte Harbor (i.e., between 27 N and 83 W). NOAA initiated an area-wide survey of sediment toxicity in 1991 to provide internally-consistent data on the spatial extent and severity of the toxicity. The intent of this survey was to sample all of the major regions within the study area (Newark Bay, and Arthur Kill and Passaic and Hackensack Rivers, 40 N and 75 W), collect surficial fine-grained sediments, and determine the degree of toxicity of the sediments to laboratory organisms these data are the results of the amphipod bioassay (with the amphipod ampelisca abdita), expressed in terms of percent survival. The documentation includes details of the stations, methodology, and summary of results. Additional information may be obtained by contacting: NOAA/ORCA/ Bioeffects Assessment Branch 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, WA 98115.

Chlorophyll data were collected from the ROGER REVELLE from January 1, 1998 to January 25, 1998. Data were submitted by Oregon State University as part of the US JGOFS Antarctic Environments Southern Ocean Process Study. These data were recorded after collecting surface seawater intake in the Southern Oceans.

Chemical, physical, and other data were collected from the YAQUINA, CAYUSE, WECOMA, and THOMAS G. THOMPSON from July 8, 1974 to August 21, 1983. Data were submitted by University of Washington using bottle and CTD casts in Coastal Waters of the Washington/Oregon and Northeast Pacific Ocean.

Various water column variables, including salinity, dissolved inorganic nutrients, pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, radio-carbon isotopes were measured in samples collected using a Niskin-bottle rosette at selected depths from sites offshore of California and Oregon from October to November 2018 during NOAA cruise SH-18-12 on the R/V Bell M. Shimada (USGS field activity 2018-663-FA). CTD (Conductivity Temperature Depth) data were also collected at each depth that a Niskin-bottle sample was collected and are presented along with the water sample data. This data release supersedes version 2.0, published in September 2021 at https://doi.org/10.5066/P99DIQZ5. Versioning details are documented in the accompanying VersionHistory_P99MJ096.txt file.