Satellite Assessment of CO2 Distribution, Variability and Flux and Understanding of Control Mechanisms in a River Dominated Ocean Margin

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is studying the effects of climate change on ocean acidification within the Gulf of Mexico; dealing specifically with the effect of ocean acidification on marine organisms and habitats. To investigate this, the USGS participated in cruises on the West Florida Shelf and northern Gulf of Mexico regions aboard the research vessel (R/V) Weatherbird II or Bellows, ships of opportunity led by Dr. Kendra Daly, of the University of South Florida (USF) in July and August, 2013. Cruises left from and returned to Saint Petersburg, Florida, but followed different routes. The USGS collected geochemical data pertaining to pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total carbon dioxide (TCO2), and total alkalinity (TA) in discrete samples at various depths from predetermined stations. Discrete surface samples were also taken, while in transit, during both cruises.

Measurements made along the Mid-Atlantic coastal and Chesapeake Bay outflow regions in 2005 and 2006.

Measurements made near the Orinoco River outflow region from 1998 to 2000.

Measurements made along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, North Atlantic Bight, and Gulf Stream between 2000 and 2010.

Measurements of pCO2 taken by the University of Southern Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico near the Louisiana coast in 2005 and 2006

This dataset contains temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and current velocities obtained from the long-term Fisheries Oceanography in Coastal Alabama (FOCAL) mooring operated by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). The mooring is located at 30°05.410'N, 88°12.694'W, along the 20-m isobath about 25 km southwest of Mobile Bay, Alabama. This dataset contains non-continuous data collected between 2007-10-01 and 2016-08-19 using a variety of instruments, including thermistors, CTDs, and a bottom-mounted, upward-looking RDI 600 Workhorse Sentinel ADCP. Parameters include temperature; salinity; current vectors, speeds, and direction; dissolved oxygen and oxygen saturation; and sound velocity, although not all datasets contain each parameter. The data are in ASCII format, and the raw ADCP data is also included.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is studying the effects of climate change on ocean acidification within the Gulf of Mexico; dealing specifically with the effect of ocean acidification on marine organisms and habitats. To investigate this, the USGS participated in cruises on the West Florida Shelf and northern Gulf of Mexico regions aboard the research vessel (R/V) Weatherbird II or Bellows, ships of opportunity led by Dr. Kendra Daly, of the University of South Florida (USF) in July and August, 2013. Cruises left from and returned to Saint Petersburg, Florida, but followed different routes. The USGS collected geochemical data pertaining to pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total carbon dioxide (TCO2), and total alkalinity (TA) in discrete samples at various depths from predetermined stations. Discrete surface samples were also taken, while in transit, during both cruises.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is studying the effects of climate change on ocean acidification within the Gulf of Mexico; dealing specifically with the effect of ocean acidification on marine organisms and habitats. To investigate this, the USGS participated in cruises on the West Florida Shelf and northern Gulf of Mexico regions aboard the research vessel (R/V) Weatherbird II or Bellows, ships of opportunity led by Dr. Kendra Daly, of the University of South Florida (USF) in July and August, 2013. Cruises left from and returned to Saint Petersburg, Florida, but followed different routes. The USGS collected geochemical data pertaining to pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total carbon dioxide (TCO2), and total alkalinity (TA) in discrete samples at various depths from predetermined stations. Discrete surface samples were also taken, while in transit, during both cruises.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting a study on the effects of climate change on ocean acidification within the Gulf of Mexico; dealing specifically with the effect of ocean acidification on marine organisms and habitats. To investigate this, the USGS participated in cruises in the West Florida Shelf and northern Gulf of Mexico regions aboard the R/V Weatherbird II, a ship of opportunity lead by Dr. Kendra Daly, of the University of South Florida (USF). This cruise occurred February 17-23, 2011, leaving from and returned to Saint Petersburg, Florida. The USGS collected data pertaining to pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and total alkalinity in discrete samples. Seventy-one underway discrete samples were collected approximately hourly over a span of 1628 kilometer (km) track line, additionally 34 samples were taken at 10 stations. Flow-through conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) data were collected, which includes temperature, salinity, and pH. Corroborating the USGS data are the vertical CTD profiles collected by USF, using the following sensors: CTD, oxygen, chlorophyll fluorescence, optical backscatter, and transmissometer. Additionally, discrete depth samples for nutrients, chlorophyll, and particulate organic carbon/nitrogen were collected.