This project assesses the use of turtlegrass by finfish and shellfish across the northern Gulf Mexico and evaluates the specific ways seagrass supports blue crabs, a commercially important species.

This dataset presents results from flow cytometry samples collected in the euphotic zone in the open ocean Gulf of Mexico during cruises of the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, May 10-30, 2017 (NF17), and May 5-19, 2018 (NF18). Flow cytometry results include abundances of phytoplankton taxa (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, Photosynthetic Eukaryotes) and non-pigmented bacteria (HBACT).

This dataset presents results from surface-tethered drifting sediment traps, zooplankton net tows, dissolved inorganic nutrient concentration analyses made on water column samples, and flow cytometry samples collected in the euphotic zone, from the open ocean Gulf of Mexico during cruises of the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, May 10-30, 2017 (NF17), and May 5-19, 2018 (NF18). Sediment trap results include particulate organic carbon flux, particulate nitrogen flux, carbon isotope ratio of sinking organic matter (13C/12C), nitrogen isotopes of sinking material (15N/14N), chlorophyll a flux, and phaeopigment flux. Mesozooplankton results include separate files for: 1) wet weight, dry weight, carbon and nitrogen biomass estimates for total zooplankton and five size fractions; 2) carbon and nitrogen percent dry weight, stable carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) isotope ratios of five size fractions; and 3) size-fractionated chlorophyll and phaeopigment gut pigment contents, pigment-based estimates of mesozooplankton grazing on phytoplankton in the euphotic zone (grazing m-2 h-1) and biomass-specific rates of grazing relative to zooplankton dry weight and carbon. Dissolved inorganic nutrient concentration measurements include nitrate+nitrite (NO3-+NO2-), ammonium (NH4+), and soluble reactive phosphorus (PO43-). Flow cytometry results include abundances of phytoplankton taxa (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, Photosynthetic Eukaryotes) and non-pigmented bacteria (HBACT).

The database contains a summary of the number of sea turtles that have been rehabilitated by the NOAA Galveston Laboratory and placed at offsite holding facilities awaiting release back into the wild.

This dataset includes microplastic concentration and ingestion information from samples of sargassum and open water habitats collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico during four cruises across three years (2017-2019). Microplastic concentration data includes samples from both Sargassum and open water habitats collected in May and July of 2018. Microplastic ingestion data includes sargassum-associated juvenile fish samples from sargassum habitats collected in July 2017, May 2018, July 2018, and May 2019.

This Geotiff represents a 1 meter resolution backscatter mosaic of the reef shelf and the steep slopes of the Southwest Shelf (H12640) of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The M-I907-NF-14 survey was a continuation of the NOAA Biogeography Branch's Seafloor Mapping of the US Caribbean project. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Team, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Nancy Foster and territory, federal, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data in St. Croix between March 12th and April 2, 2014. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Reson 7125 multibeam echosounder (400 kHz) and processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides from NOAA COOPS. Data is in UTM zone 20 north, datum NAD83. The bathymetry data were geometrically and radiometrically corrected using Hypack 2014 acquisition software. The project was conducted to meet IHO order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependant on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.

This image represents a 1 meter resolution bathymetry of the reef shelf and the steep slopes of the Southwest Shelf (H12640) of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The M-I907-NF-14 survey was a continuation of the NOAA Biogeography Branch's Seafloor Mapping of the US Caribbean project. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Team, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Nancy Foster and territory, federal, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data in St. Croix between March 12th and April 2, 2014. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Reson 7125 multibeam echosounder (400 kHz) and processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides from NOAA COOPS. Data is in UTM zone 20 north, datum NAD83. The bathymetry data were geometrically and radiometrically corrected using Hypack 2014 acquisition software. The project was conducted to meet IHO order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependent on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.

The research mission was conducted in the Dry Tortugas, FL by National Ocean Service scientists from the Center for Coastal Habitat and Fisheries Research (CCFHR) during 2009 aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. The overall objective of CCFHR's research in the Tortugas is to examine the effects of implementation of the Tortugas North Ecological Reserve (TNER). The establishment of the TNER, a no-take reserve, in 2001 provided the opportunity to examine the response of the fish and benthic communities to the creation of a refuge for exploited reef fishes. Historically, exploitation of reef fishes in the Tortugas has focused on large predatory reef fishes, primarily snappers and groupers and, to a lesser extent, grunts. Trends in populations of these targeted species are expected to vary relative to geographic variation in fishing mortality (F). Increasing trends in targeted species abundance are expected in the TNER where all fishing was prohibited in 2001. Within adjacent areas managed as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where both federally sanctioned commercial and recreational fisheries are permitted, exploited populations are expected to be depressed relative to those in the TNER. Within the Dry Tortugas National Park (DTNP) where fishing effort is limited to recreational hook and line fishing, trends in exploited species are expected to be intermediate to those observed in the TNER and EEZ. Cascading effects due to change in abundance of exploited species is expected to indirectly impact corals and other sessile benthic communities. Sampling to detect reserve implementation effects was conducted at the ecotone between the reef habitat of the banks and the surrounding soft-bottom shelf where the structure and composition of communities should provide sensitive indicators of a reserve effect. Energy flow across reef-sand boundaries is critical to reef communities. Energy and nutrients are imported to the reef by nocturnally foraging reef fish that feed in sand, algae, and seagrass flats adjacent to the reef. The majority of the TNER (approximately 70%) consists of soft-bottom shelf habitat, and previous work on the west Florida shelf suggests that benthic primary production is the major energy source supporting fish biomass. In addition to providing ecologically sensitive sampling locations, the interface between bank and shelf provided a distinct landscape feature suited to a comparative analysis of management impact. Observations were made using 1) a stratified-random survey design for scuba divers visual observations, 2) a systematic survey of fish and fauna using scientific splitbeam echosounders (fisheries sonar) to map fish densities and biomass on the shelf, coral and softbottom habitats.

This Geotiff represents a 1 meter resolution backscatter mosaic of the reef shelf and the steep slopes of the Southwest Shelf (H12640) of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The M-I907-NF-14 survey was a continuation of the NOAA Biogeography Branch's Seafloor Mapping of the US Caribbean project. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Team, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Nancy Foster and territory, federal, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data in St. Croix between March 12th and April 2, 2014. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Reson 7125 multibeam echosounder (400 kHz) and processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides from NOAA COOPS. Data is in UTM zone 20 north, datum NAD83. The bathymetry data were geometrically and radiometrically corrected using Hypack 2014 acquisition software. The project was conducted to meet IHO order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependant on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.

This image represents a 1 meter resolution bathymetry of the reef shelf and the steep slopes of the Southwest Shelf (H12640) of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The M-I907-NF-14 survey was a continuation of the NOAA Biogeography Branch's Seafloor Mapping of the US Caribbean project. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Team, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Nancy Foster and territory, federal, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data in St. Croix between March 12th and April 2, 2014. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Reson 7125 multibeam echosounder (400 kHz) and processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides from NOAA COOPS. Data is in UTM zone 20 north, datum NAD83. The bathymetry data were geometrically and radiometrically corrected using Hypack 2014 acquisition software. The project was conducted to meet IHO order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependent on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.