Physical, chemical, phytoplankton, marine toxin, and other data from bottle casts and bottom grabs from NOAA Ship ALBATROSS IV and other platforms as part of the North East Monitoring Program and other projects from 1977-02-12 to 1981-08-10 (NCEI Accession 8500078)

Physical parameters that may be recorded include temperature, density (sigma-t), transmissivity, and current velocity (east-west and north-south components). Cruise and station information, including environmental conditions of the study site at the time of observations, is also included. This F028 format is used for data from the sampling and analysis of marine phytoplankton.

Information on phytoplankton abundance, distribution, and productivity derived from these data support studies of marine populations and ecosystems. Data reported may include: position, date, and time of sampling; bottom depth and sampling depths; volume of water filtered; and concentration of cells, carbon concentration, wet and dry weight, and counts for each species reported. Comments may be relayed in a text record.

The F144 format contains data on ambient concentrations of toxic substances and other pollutants in the marine environment. The data derive from laboratory analyses of samples of water, sediment, or marine organisms. Samples may have been collected near marine discharge sites or during ocean monitoring surveys of large areas.

Field observations of tar deposits on beaches may also be reported. Survey information includes platform type, start and end dates, and investigator and institution. If data are collected near a discharge site, discharge location, depth, distance to shore, average volume, and other characteristics are reported.

Position, date, time and environmental conditions are reported for each sample station. Environmental data may include meteorological and sea surface conditions, tide stage and height, depth of the thermocline or mixed layer surface temperature and salinity, and wave height and periods. Sample characteristics, collection methods, and laboratory techniques are reported for each sample collected and analyzed.

The data record comprises concentration values (or a code to indicate trace amounts) for each chemical substance analyzed. Chemical substances are identified by codes based on the registry numbers assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) of the American Chemical Society. Marine organisms from which samples have been taken are identified using the 12-digit NODC Taxonomic Code.

A text record is available for optional comments.