Modern observations of planktic foraminifera from sediment trap studies help to constrain the regional ecology of paleoceanographically valuable species. Results from a weekly-resolved sediment trap time series (2008–2014) in the northern Gulf of Mexico demonstrate that 92% of Globorotalia truncatulinoides flux occurs in winter (January, February, and March), and that encrusted and non-encrusted individuals represent calcification in distinct depth habitats. Individual foraminiferal analysis (IFA) of G. truncatulinoides tests were used to investigate differences in the elemental Magnesium/Calcium (Mg/Ca) and isotopic composition (δ18O and δ13C) of the encrusted and non-encrusted ontogenetic forms of G. truncatulinoides, and to estimate their calcification depth in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Estimates show that non-encrusted and encrusted G. truncatulinoides have mean calcification depths of 66 ± 9 meters and 393 ± 83 meters, respectively. The Mg/Ca-calcification temperature relationship was validated for G. truncatulinoides and demonstrated that the δ18O and Mg/Ca of the non-encrusted form is a suitable proxy for winter surface mixed layer conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. Care should be taken not to combine encrusted and non-encrusted individuals of G. truncatulinoides for down core paleoceanographic studies. For further information regarding data collection and/or processing methods as well as the associated published manuscript refer to Reynolds and others (2018b).

This data release includes results of a high-resolution (1–2 weeks) and long-term sediment trap time series collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico. This dataset allows for a detailed assessment of the seasonal distribution, size, morphological variability and geochemistry of co-occurring pink and white chromotypes of the shallow-water foraminifera, Globigerinoides ruber. The flux of both chromotypes is highly correlated, and both represent mean annual conditions in the marine surface mixed layer. Under modern climatic conditions in the Gulf of Mexico, USGS researchers found no significant offset in the Magnesium/Calcium (Mg/Ca) and delta Oxygen-18 (d18O) of co-occurring pink and white G. ruber (Richey and others, 2019). Furthermore, findings show the d18O and delta Carbon-13 (d13C) among the two morphotypes (sensu stricto and sensu lato) of both pink and white G. ruber to be indistinguishable. The test size distribution within the population varies seasonally, with the abundance of large individuals increasing (decreasing) in summer (winter). For further information regarding data collection and/or processing methods as well as the associated published manuscript refer to Richey and others (2019).

To aid in geologic studies of sediment transport and environmental change in coastal marsh, 1-centimeter (cm) foraminiferal subsamples were taken from seven sediment push cores collected in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR), Mississippi, in October 2016. The push cores were collected along two, shore-perpendicular transects at 5, 15, 25, and 50 meters (m) from the shoreline, on opposite sides of Middle Bay during U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Field Activities Number (FAN) 2016-358-FA, also known as alternate FAN 16CCT07. Foraminiferal subsamples were processed and analyzed at the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC). Sediment characteristics, loss-on-ignition (LOI), and site location information for the core sites can be found in Marot and others (2019; https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FO8R3Y). Downloadable data are available as Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), comma-separated values text files (.csv), and Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata (.txt and .xml).

ADCP and raw sediment trap data from long-term moorings at three sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The sites were chosen to represent three environmental regimes: DWH site (R/V Oceanus Site 26, or OC26; 28°40’N, 88°21.6’W, 1660 m deep)is about 5 km from the Deepwater Horizon spill site; a 'seep' site in the Green Canyon 600 lease block ((27°22.5’N, 90°30.6’W, 1380 m deep); and a 'reference' site in the Atwater Valley 357 lease block (27°22.5’N, 90°30.6’W, 1380 m deep). These data span 2010-08-25 - 2016-09-12 and include ADCP velocity measurements; estimates of particulate carbon and nitrogen, biogenic silica, and transparent exopolymer particles, as well as chemistry of the overlying water; and C-14, C-13, and S-34 isotopes measurements. The sediment traps were located 120 m above the bottom, with an additional trap located at 30 m above the bottom on some of the DWH site deployments.

This data package reports presence/absence and density data, and environmental data (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen) collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico during R/V Blazing Seven cruises LF2015A and LF2015B from 2015-06-06 to 2015-07-25. It also includes stable isotope ratios of model meso- and bathypelagic micronekton species of the Gulf of Mexico collected during cruises DP01, DP02, LF2015A and LF2015B from 2015-05-01 to 2015-08-21, and catch number of true tuna (Thunnus spp.) larvae collected in the Gulf of Mexico before (2007-2009), during (2010), and after (2011-2013; 2015) the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS). Larval fishes sampled from 48 stations were collected with three different gear types: 1) neuston net (2 m width x 1 m height frame) rigged with 1200 micron mesh; 2) paired 61-cm bongo nets with 333 and 500-micron mesh; 3) paired ring net with 1000 micron mesh. Other cruise data were collected at each site including latitude/longitude, date, time, environmental data (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen) and Sargassum dry weight. Sea surface temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were measured at the surface of each station using a Sonde 6920 Environmental Monitoring System (YSI Inc., Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States). Catch data are also being coupled with environmental data to identify high quality (highly suitable) habitat of each species or taxonomic group.

The tetraether index of C86 (TEX86) and alkenone unsaturation index (Uk37Õ) molecular biomarker proxies have been broadly applied in down-core marine sediments to reconstruct past sea surface temperature (SST). Although both TEX86 and Uk37 have been interpreted as proxies for mean annual SST throughout the global ocean, regional studies of glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGT)s and alkenones in sinking particulate matter (SPM) are required to understand the influence of seasonality, depth distribution and diagenesis on downcore variability. USGS scientists measured GDGT and alkenone flux, as well as the TEX86 and Uk37Õ indices in a 4-year sediment trap time series (2010-2014) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM), with weekly-to-monthly resolution, and compared these data with core-top sediments at the same location. GDGT and alkenone fluxes do not show a consistent seasonal cycle; however, the largest flux peaks for both occurs in winter. Uk37 co-varies with SST over the 4-year sampling interval, but the U-SST relationship in this dataset implies a smaller slope or non-linearity at high temperatures when compared with existing calibrations. Furthermore, the flux-weighted Uk37 value from sinking particles is significantly lower than that of underlying core-top sediments, suggesting preferential diagenetic loss of the tri-unsaturated alkenone in sediments. TEX86 does not co-vary with SST, suggesting production in the subsurface ocean. The flux-weighted mean TEX86 matches that of core-top sediments, suggesting that sedimentary TEX86 in the Gulf of Mexico reflects local autochthonous production. We explore these potential sources of uncertainty in both proxies in the GoM, but demonstrate that they show nearly identical trends in 20th century SST, despite these factors.

In October 2019, five marsh push cores (core names appended with M for marsh push core) and 18 surface sediment samples (top 1 cm of sediment) were collected from the estuary (sample name appended G for PONAR grab) near the mouth of the St. Marks River and some of the surrounding marshes (sample name appended with S for surface), along with elevation transects and peat augers (sample name appended with R or R50, depending on length, for Russian peat auger). The purpose of the study was to 1) evaluate peat thickness relative to the shoreline and upland, 2) compare marsh accretion rates with other marshes along the northern Gulf of Mexico, 3) determine whether sea-level or storm history records are recorded and viable, and 4) compare elevation and shoreline data with post-Michael lidar imagery. Cores and surficial sediment samples were processed and analyzed for organic content and grain-size. Cores and select surface samples were analyzed using gamma spectroscopy for determination of background and excess lead-210 with cesium-137, while the modern foraminiferal microfossil assemblage was determined using surface sediment samples. Foraminiferal samples (appended with F for foraminifera) were collected at surface sample sites and stained in the field with rose Bengal for determination of live (stained) and dead (unstained) microfossils. All samples in the dataset are referred to by field activity number (FAN) 2019-366-FA (alternate FAN 19CCT05) and are part of the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center's (USGS-SPCMSC) Estuarine and MaRsh Geology (EMRG) research project, which works to understand how and where short- and long-term marsh and estuarine coastal processes interact, how they influence coastal accretion or erosion, and how they pre-condition a marsh’s resiliency to storms, sea-level change, and human alterations along the northern Gulf of Mexico.

This data package contains MOCNESS (Multiple Opening/Closing Net Environmental Sensing System) profile data, ZooScan image data, and other zooplankton, ichthyoplankton and decapod specimen identification data collected during Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Plankton Survey Walton Smith 3 (WS3) in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2010-09-26 to 2010-10-02 on board the R/V F.G. Walton Smith Cruise WS1017. This survey was part of a series of WS NRDA cruises conducted in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate the distribution and densities of ichthyoplankton and other zooplankton in northern Gulf of Mexico waters potentially affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS). The data package includes the original profile data representing environmental samples (e.g., temperature, salinity, pressure) for individual MOCNESS tows as well as combined and summary data (all tows) for the full cruise, ZooScan image data with the accompanying ZooScan files so that the images can be reanalyzed, sampling event data (e.g., time, latitude, longitude, depth, volume filtered) and other zooplankton, ichthyoplankton and decapod specimen identification data (e.g., taxonomic identification, length, number of individuals). Zooplankton density and specimen data were derived from the ZooScan imagery data included in this data package.

Observations of elevated barium-to-calcium ratio (Ba/Ca) in Globorotalia truncatulinoides have been attributed to contaminant phases, deep calcification depth and diagenetic processes. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and their collaborators investigated intra- and inter-test Ba/Ca variability in the non-spinose planktic foraminifer, G. truncatulinoides, from a sediment trap time series (2009-2017) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (generally 27.5°N and 90.3°W) to gain insights into the environmental influences on barium enrichment in this and other non-spinose species. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to differentiate between the elemental composition of the crust and lamellar calcite in non-encrusted (< 150 meters [m] calcification depth) and encrusted (> 250 meters calcification depth) specimens of G. truncatulinoides. For further information regarding data collection, processing methods, and/or results and interpretive study refer to Richey and others (2022).