In coastal Alabama, stormwater runs off the land into coastal waters, carrying with it a variety of pollutants and disease-causing microbes that degrade water quality and threaten human health. Fully restored coastal marshes with complete plant cover are able to absorb up to 80 percent of the nitrogen pollution in this runoff. Less is known, however, about the capacity of marshes at different stages of restoration to improve water quality.

This dataset presents results from surface-tethered drifting sediment traps deployed 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). 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.

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 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 data release consists of vegetation cover, soil surface elevation (also called vertical land motion of the wetland (VLMw)), and vertical accretion data collected over 23 months beginning in May 2001 in a restored brackish marsh in southeast Louisiana, USA. Vegetation cover was estimated in permanent plots, and soil cores were collected for determination of bulk density, organic matter content and texture. VLMw was measured using rod surface elevation tables, while accretion was measured using feldspar marker horizons (i.e., RSET-MH technique).

Protection and restoration of coastal watersheds requires the synthesis of complex environmental issues. Contaminated site remediation, dredging and disposal of contaminated sediments, and restoring injured habitats are a few of the challenges facing coastal managers. The evaluation of multiple environmental issues can be significantly improved by combining scientific data and watershed characteristics into a Geographic Information System (GIS).NOAA's Coastal Protection and Restoration Division (CPRD) has developed decision-support tools for specific watersheds around the country that combine the use of a standard database structure, database-mapping application, and GIS. CPRD Watershed Database & Mapping Projects facilitate sediment and tissue chemistry and bioeffects data, natural resources, and potential habitat restoration projects to be overlaid on a watershed's features and land uses, and displayed on maps at flexible spatial scales. This approach simplifies data analysis and presentation, provides valuable tools for complex decision-making, and improves our understanding of dynamic aquatic ecosystems.

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 project investigated the influence of the Mississippi River and its delta on the oceanography, ecology, and economy of the Gulf of Mexico; identified gaps in data collection, model availability and model integration that would allow managers to better sustainably manage and monitor the Gulf´s natural resources; evaluated the role of extreme events and potential climate change impacts on the oceanography, ecology and economy of the Gulf of Mexico; and disseminated the results of this work. The investigators also compiled historical outputs from physical oceanographic models to provide an overview of the Gulf of Mexico and the role of riverine and deltaic forcings. The environmental drivers that the investigators examined include variability in magnitude of Mississippi River discharge, changes in the direction of river plume, variability in coastal currents, extreme weather events (cold fronts and hurricanes), and nutrient and carbon loadings.

Meteorological dataset: Meteorological data provide information on atmospheric conditions that can affect water quality and biological and physical processes. Core elements currently measured at each National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) include air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Optional parameters include total solar radiation. Each site maintains at least one meteorological station. Stations are placed at locations typical of local conditions or in areas where a specific need for weather data has been identified. Data are reported at 15 minute intervals. Prior to 2007, hourly and daily average data were also reported. Water Quality dataset: Water quality observations made over long time periods can provide important feedback to scientists and to local, state, and national resource managers about actions taken to manage, protect, and restore estuaries. They also provide valuable information for evaluating the impacts of environmental change on coastal habitats and species. There are at least four water quality stations at each National Estuarine Research Reserve. Each station is designed to characterize long-term variability and short term changes in environmental conditions. Data are collected with data loggers at fifteen minute intervals and instruments are deployed continuously and year round where possible. Water quality parameters collected include: water temperature, specific conductivity, salinity, percent saturation of dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, depth, and turbidity. Chlorophyll fluorescence is an optional parameter and pressure corrected water depth is a calculated value. Nutrient/pigment dataset: There are at least four water quality stations at each National Estuarine Research Reserve. Each station is designed to characterize long-term variability and short term changes in environmental conditions. Discrete samples for nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations are collected at each long-term monitoring station at least once monthly. More intensive (24-hours over a complete tidal cycle) sampling is conducted each month at one water quality monitoring station to better understand impacts of tide and irradiance on nutrient cycling. Nutrient parameters collected include: nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, orthophosphate, and chlorophyll a. Numerous optional parameters include dissolved organic carbon, total dissolved nitrogen, and total dissolved phosphorus. All data are provided in yearly .CSV files.

Meteorological dataset: Meteorological data provide information on atmospheric conditions that can affect water quality and biological and physical processes. Core elements currently measured at each National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) include air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Optional parameters include total solar radiation. Each site maintains at least one meteorological station. Stations are placed at locations typical of local conditions or in areas where a specific need for weather data has been identified. Data are reported at 15 minute intervals. Prior to 2007, hourly and daily average data were also reported. Water Quality dataset: Water quality observations made over long time periods can provide important feedback to scientists and to local, state, and national resource managers about actions taken to manage, protect, and restore estuaries. They also provide valuable information for evaluating the impacts of environmental change on coastal habitats and species. There are at least four water quality stations at each National Estuarine Research Reserve. Each station is designed to characterize long-term variability and short term changes in environmental conditions. Data are collected with data loggers at fifteen minute intervals and instruments are deployed continuously and year round where possible. Water quality parameters collected include: water temperature, specific conductivity, salinity, percent saturation of dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, depth, and turbidity. Chlorophyll fluorescence is an optional parameter and pressure corrected water depth is a calculated value. Nutrient/pigment dataset: There are at least four water quality stations at each National Estuarine Research Reserve. Each station is designed to characterize long-term variability and short term changes in environmental conditions. Discrete samples for nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations are collected at each long-term monitoring station at least once monthly. More intensive (24-hours over a complete tidal cycle) sampling is conducted each month at one water quality monitoring station to better understand impacts of tide and irradiance on nutrient cycling. Nutrient parameters collected include: nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, orthophosphate, and chlorophyll a. Numerous optional parameters include dissolved organic carbon, total dissolved nitrogen, and total dissolved phosphorus. All data are provided in yearly .CSV files.