Data from a set of studies that ran from 1977-1978, and 1980-1982, around the site of Gaillard Island, Mobile Bay, Alabama, before, during, and after its construction (1979-1981). Extant data from the MESC Data Management System include sediment particle size distribution (001), identification and enumeration of benthic fauna (002), discrete hydrography and turbidity (003) during and after island construction, and discrete hydrography and turbidity before island construction (004).

Beginning in late 1979, the Alabama Coastal Area Board (CAB) funded a series of baseline surveys on the coastal resources of Alabama, from which they could develop a monitoring program to observe any significant changes in the resources over time. Eight stations within Mobile Bay, Alabama were sampled monthly from April 1980 to April 1981. Data collected included samples for benthic fauna, pelagic fauna, sediment particle size, total organic carbon, foraminifera, zooplankton, phytoplankton, chlorophyll, turbidity, river flow, and hydrographic parameters. The subset of data presented here are for the benthic fauna, which were sampled by 0.1 m^2 Peterson grab. Fauna were enumerated and identified to the lowest taxon possible, and mainly included crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, and echinoderms. Data in readily accessible digital form are available from April 1980 to February 1981.

Beginning in late 1979, the Alabama Coastal Area Board (CAB) funded a series of baseline surveys on the coastal resources of Alabama, from which they could develop a monitoring program to observe any significant changes in the resources over time. Eight stations within Mobile Bay were sampled monthly from April 1980 to April 1981. Data collected included samples for benthic fauna, pelagic fauna, sediment particle size, total organic carbon, foraminifera, zooplankton, phytoplankton, chlorophyll, turbidity, river flow, and hydrographic parameters. The subset of data presented here are for sediment particle size, total organic carbon, and foraminifera. Data are available from April 1980 to April 1981 for eight stations (14 sampling trips), and one station until August 1981 (4 additional trips).

Benthic organisms data were collected using sediment sampler and net casts BELLOWS and other platforms in the Gulf of Mexico from 16 May 1974 to 20 February 1978. Data were collected and submitted by Dr. William Sackett of Texas University with support from the Outer Continental Shelf project. The data are from field sampling or surveys of bottom dwelling marine organisms in F132 format. The data provide information on species counts and species wet weight from samples collected by point sampling (grab or core) or by tow (dredge or trawl). Three operational kinds of data include: Epifauna, Infauna, and Meiofauna benthic organisms data that roughly correspond to the different sampling methods and collecting institutions that were part of this study. Cruise information such as vessel, start and end dates, investigator, and institution/agency; station numbers, positions and times; and equipment and methods are reported for each survey. Number of individual organisms or total weight of all organisms in the sample is reported for each taxonomic category identified by the researchers (often to Genus and Species taxonomic resolution).

In 1995, the Missouri River Benthic Fishes Study was initiated to provide improved information on Missouri River fish populations and how alterations might affect them. Missouri River Benthic Fishes Study (MRBFS) documented annual patterns, habitat, and water quality associations of 21 Missouri River benthic fish species based on relative abundance, including sicklefin and sturgeon chub from 1996 to 1998. Data sets include capture data and habitat characterization. The objective was to evaluate population structure and habitat use of benthic fishes along the entire mainstem Missouri River, exclusive of reservoirs.

We used 14 years (10-01-1999 to 09-30-2014) of biological data (benthic macroinvertebrate and stream fish community data and complementary biological metrics) that was collected from Alabama streams confined to the Mobile River basin and other Gulf Coast drainages in conjunction with land use data and process-based model hydrological (i.e., Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System; PRMS), and water quality (i.e., Spatially Referenced Regression On Watershed Attributes, SPARROW) outputs to explore the effects of land use-driven high and low flow conditions on resource limited taxa abundances and three biological metrics across two landscapes. A landscape consisted of all level III ecoregions above or below the geological feature referred to as the fall line across Alabama. We created two taxa-specific datasets for each landscape by connecting taxa-specific biological samples and the corresponding biological metrics to NHDPlus COMIDs and then used this spatial reference to relate these data to PRMS stream segments. This process enabled us to compile hydrologic metrics, long-term estimates of urban and agricultural land use, and water quality gradients for each biological sample. Biological datasets were compiled from samples collected by two Alabama state agencies: the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and the Geological Survey of Alabama (GSA). ADEM collected all benthic macroinvertebrate samples, while GSA collected all stream fish samples. All ADEM's benthic macroinvertebrate samples included raw community data, along with biological condition gradient (BCG) and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera scores. GSA's stream fish samples included the raw community data and fish index of biological integrity scores. For all biological samples, NHDPlus COMIDs, and PRMS segments we also integrated the following attributes into each of our four datasets; for each biological sample we included its collection date, site ID, and geographic coordinates (decimal degrees); for each COMID, we included its cumulative drainage area (square kilometers) and slope (percentage) and identified the segment’s relevant level III ecoregion; and for each PRMS segment we included its cumulative drainage area (square kilometers). For each of the four datasets, we used PRMS predicted daily streamflow data to calculate 171 biologically relevant hydrologic metrics for each PRMS stream segment and used SPARROW long-term annual, COMID-specific estimates of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and suspended sediment to generate standardized water quality gradients by incorporating these variables into principal component analyses. We then used annual land cover datasets (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014) to calculate long-term averages of the percentages of urban and agricultural land use associated with each PRMS stream segment, and then estimates were used to identify high and low flow metrics that were only significantly correlated with either land use type. We then integrated the standardized water quality gradients, subsets of hydrologic metrics, and taxa-specific community data into community models to identify resource-limited taxa that were responsive to land use- driven flow conditions. Finally, we used these resource-limited taxa, the three biological metrics, standardized water quality gradients and subsets of hydrologic metrics to evaluate the impact of land use-driven flow conditions on aquatic communities native to Alabama streams. References: Olden, J. D., & Poff, N. L. (2003). Redundancy and the choice of hydrologic indices for characterizing streamflow regimes. River research and applications, 19(2), 101-121. LaFontaine, J.H., Hay, L.E., and Farmer, W.H., 2019, Model Input and Output for Hydrologic Simulations of the Southeastern United States for Historical and Future Conditions: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F74X56PH. Roland, V.L., II, and Hoos, A.B., 2020, SPARROW model

The NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center has, through the years, accumulated an extensive data base of qualitative and quantitative (wet weight and number per square meter) data on the composition, distribution and abundance (including a variety of environmental measurements) of the macrobenthic invertebrate fauna of the U.S.east coast continental shelf, slope and upper rise ranging from the mouth of the Bay of Fundy to Key West, Florida. Benthic fauna data has been collected from 1881 to the present by the National Marine Fisheries Service Laboratories at Woods Hole, MA (early years Bureau of Fisheries) and Sandy Hook, NJ (formerly with the Bureau of Sport Fisheries). Little data exists from 1881 to around 1955. After intensive sampling, data became sparse again after 1986. The data includes the work by Wigley and Theroux on the macrofauna of the Northeastern United States. Other major studies include Ocean Pulse, the Northeast Monitoring Program, New York Bight, 12 Mile Dumpsite, Long Island Sound and Raritan Bay surveys. Parameters included in these surveys include depth, sediment type, gear type, number, weight, family, class, genus, species name, and abundance. A total of 21,000 sample sites are included in this data set with 4,000 meters being the maximum depth sampled. Bottom temperature from MBTs and XBTs were measured from the 1960s to the present.

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.

Chemical, benthic organisms, and other data were collected using moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico from November 11, 1983 to November 13, 1984. Data were submitted by Alaska Research Associates, Inc., as part of the Gulf of Mexico North Continental Slope Study (MNCSS) project. Data has been processed by NODC to the NODC standard F004 Water Physics and Chemistry, F123 Fish Shellfish Resource, and F132 Benthic Organisms formats. The F004 format is used for data from measurements and analyses of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column. Among chemical parameters that may be recorded are salinity, pH, and concentration of oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, chlorophyll, and suspended solids. Physical parameters that may be recorded include temperature, density (sigma-t), transmissivity, and current velocity (east-west and north-south components). Cruise and station information, including environmental conditions of the study site at the time of observations, is also included. The F123 format is used for data from field sampling of marine fish and shellfish. The data derive from analysis of midwater or bottom tow catches and provide information on population density and distribution. Cruise information, position, date, time, gear type, fishing distance and duration, and number of hauls are reported for each survey. Environmental data may include meteorological conditions, surface and bottom temperature and salinity, and current direction and speed. Bottom trawl or other gear dimensions and characteristics are also reported. Catch statistics (e.g., weight, volume, number of fish per unit volume) may be reported for both total haul and for individual species. Biological characteristics of selected specimens, predator/ prey information (from stomach contents analysis), and growth data may also be included. A text record is available for comments. The F132 format contains data from field sampling or surveys of bottom dwelling marine organisms. The data provide information on species abundance, distribution, and biomass; they may have been collected by point sampling (grab or core), by tow (dredge, trawl or net), by photographic surveys, or by other methods. Cruise information such as vessel, start and end dates, investigator, and institution/agency; station numbers, positions and times; and equipment and methods are reported for each survey. Environmental data reported at each sampling site may include meteorological and sea surface conditions; surface and bottom temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen; and sediment characteristics. Number of individual organisms and total weight of organisms is reported for each species. A text record is available for comments.

Benthic organism were collected using sediment sampler, BT, and bottle casts from the EASTWARD and other platforms in the Georges' Bank from 10 July 1981 to 08 June 1984. Data were submitted by the Battelle Marine Research Laboratory in New England with support from Ocean Continental Shelf - Georges' Bank project. The F132 format contains data from field sampling or surveys of bottom dwelling marine organisms. The data provide information on species abundance, distribution, and biomass; they may have been collected by point sampling (grab or core), by tow (dredge, trawl or net), by photographic surveys, or by other methods. Cruise information such as vessel, start and end dates, investigator, and institution/agency; station numbers, positions and times; and equipment and methods are reported for each survey. Environmental data reported at each sampling site may include meteorological and sea surface conditions; surface and bottom temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen; and sediment characteristics. Number of individual organisms and total weight of organisms is reported for each species. A text record is available for comments.