Data and information collected by the submersible Johnson Sea-Link II at waypoints along its track during one dive of the 2002 "Islands in the Stream - Outer Shelf and Slope Habitats" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration, August 5 - 15, 2002. Measurements and information include sub's position and depth; personnel assignments; dive, mission, target, and vehicle ID's; dive comments; hyperlinks to CTD plots; water temperature; and salinity. The Marine Operations Division of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution provided the original submersible data. Quality assurance included a comparsion and synchronization of dive log waypoint depths and CTD depths, review of minimum and maximum values, and deletion of bad values.

Hourly measurements made by selected ship sensors on the R/V Seward Johnson during the 2002 "Islands in the Stream - Exploration of Outer Shelf and Slope Habitats off the Coast of North Carolina" expedition sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration, August 5 - 15, 2002. Measurements include ship's position and heading, air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, depth, total solar irradiance, chlorophyll-a (fluorometer), sea surface temperature, and salinity. This data set was compiled from Virtual Instrument Data System (VIDS) ASCII files provided by the University of Miami Marine Technology Group at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. Quality assurance included a check of distances between hourly positions, checks for missing hourly data, review of minimum and maximum values, verification of continuous pump operation, and deletion of negative values.

In 2002 and 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC), in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), conducted three exploration cruises (USGS Cruise 02051, NOAA RB0208, September 24 to 30, 2002; USGS Cruise 03008, NOAA RB0303, February 18 to March 7, 2003 and USGS Cruise 03032, NOAA RB0305, August 28 to September 4, 2003). These cruises mapped for the first time the morphology of this entire tectonic plate boundary stretching from the Dominican Republic in the west to the Lesser Antilles in the east, a distance of approximately 700 kilometers (430 miles). Observations from these three exploration cruises, coupled with computer modeling and published Global Positioning System (GPS) results and earthquake focal mechanisms have provided new information that is changing the evaluation of the seismic and tsunami hazard from this plate boundary. The observations collected during these cruises also contributed to the basic understanding of the mechanisms that govern plate tectonics, in this case, the creation of the island of Puerto Rico and the deep trench north of it. Results of the sea floor mapping have been an important component of the study of tsunami and earthquake hazards to the northeastern Caribbean and the U.S. Atlantic coast off the United States. For additional information on the cruises see: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2002-051-FA http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2002-051-FA http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2002-051-FA

In 2002 and 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC), in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), conducted three exploration cruises (USGS Cruise 02051, NOAA RB0208, September 24 to 30, 2002; USGS Cruise 03008, NOAA RB0303, February 18 to March 7, 2003 and USGS Cruise 03032, NOAA RB0305, August 28 to September 4, 2003). These cruises mapped for the first time the morphology of this entire tectonic plate boundary stretching from the Dominican Republic in the west to the Lesser Antilles in the east, a distance of approximately 700 kilometers (430 miles). Observations from these three exploration cruises, coupled with computer modeling and published Global Positioning System (GPS) results and earthquake focal mechanisms have provided new information that is changing the evaluation of the seismic and tsunami hazard from this plate boundary. The observations collected during these cruises also contributed to the basic understanding of the mechanisms that govern plate tectonics, in this case, the creation of the island of Puerto Rico and the deep trench north of it. Results of the sea floor mapping have been an important component of the study of tsunami and earthquake hazards to the northeastern Caribbean and the U.S. Atlantic coast off the United States. For additional information on the cruises see: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2002-051-FA http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2002-051-FA http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/public_ds_info.php?fa=2002-051-FA

Pulley Ridge is a series of drowned barrier islands that extends almost 200 km in 60-100 m water depths. This drowned ridge is located on the Florida Platform in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico about 250 km west of Cape Sable, Florida. This barrier island chain formed during the initial stage of the Holocene marine transgression. These islands were then submerged and left abandoned near the outer edge of the Florida Platform. The southern portion of Pulley Ridge hosts zooxanthellate scleractinian corals, green, red and brown macro algae, and a mix of deep and typically shallow-water tropical fishes. This reef community is in unusually deep water, and its extent and the controls on its distribution were unknown. To address these questions scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program in cooperation with scientists from the University of South Florida Department of Marine Sciences have completed a detailed mapping of the southernmost 35 km of Pulley Ridge. The area was mapped using multibeam bathymetry, sidescan-sonar imagery, and high-resolution seismic-reflection profiling to define the geologic framework on which the reef is established. Submersible dives, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) transects, and transects of bottom photographs and video were collected to identify the corals and to map their distribution. This extensive suite of data has been compiled and preliminary analysis of the data suggests that the reefs are not tied to the ridge system, but instead are more broadly distributed. Whether reef distribution is controlled by oceanographic conditions or by subtle differences in the substrate that overlies the barrier island system is unclear, and are topics of continued research.

Pulley Ridge is a series of drowned barrier islands that extends almost 200 km in 60-100 m water depths. This drowned ridge is located on the Florida Platform in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico about 250 km west of Cape Sable, Florida. This barrier island chain formed during the initial stage of the Holocene marine transgression. These islands were then submerged and left abandoned near the outer edge of the Florida Platform. The southern portion of Pulley Ridge hosts zooxanthellate scleractinian corals, green, red and brown macro algae, and a mix of deep and typically shallow-water tropical fishes. This reef community is in unusually deep water, and its extent and the controls on its distribution were unknown. To address these questions scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program in cooperation with scientists from the University of South Florida Department of Marine Sciences have completed a detailed mapping of the southernmost 35 km of Pulley Ridge. The area was mapped using multibeam bathymetry, sidescan-sonar imagery, and high-resolution seismic-reflection profiling to define the geologic framework on which the reef is established. Submersible dives, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) transects, and transects of bottom photographs and video were collected to identify the corals and to map their distribution. This extensive suite of data has been compiled and preliminary analysis of the data suggests that the reefs are not tied to the ridge system, but instead are more broadly distributed. Whether reef distribution is controlled by oceanographic conditions or by subtle differences in the substrate that overlies the barrier island system is unclear, and are topics of continued research.

Benthic habitat polygon coverages are being created for the Olympic Coast national marine sanctuary (OCNMS).

This dataset shows the cruise tracklines for the acoustic surveys completed along the 58‐km long Assateague barrier island stretching from the Ocean City inlet in Maryland, down past Chincoteague Island in northern Virginia. The data was collected June 20th-25th, 2014 and May 12th - 21th, 2015. Full coverage side-scan sonar and partial coverage bathymetry data were collected using an EdgeTech 6205 Multiphase Echosounder. In total, 73 square kilometers were mapped at primarily at 100m line spacing and 80 m swath range per channel (to allow overlap between lines).

This dataset shows the cruise tracklines for the acoustic surveys completed along the 58‐km long Assateague barrier island stretching from the Ocean City inlet in Maryland, down past Chincoteague Island in northern Virginia. The data was collected June 20th-25th, 2014 and May 12th - 21th, 2015. Full coverage side-scan sonar and partial coverage bathymetry data were collected using an EdgeTech 6205 Multiphase Echosounder. In total, 73 square kilometers were mapped at primarily at 100m line spacing and 80 m swath range per channel (to allow overlap between lines).

Benthic habitat polygon coverages are being created for the Olympic Coast national marine sanctuary (OCNMS).