Deep Water Survey Data

The deep water biodiversity surveys explore and describe the biodiversity of the bathy- and bentho-pelagic nekton using Midwater and bottom trawls. The covered area includes the western North Atlantic between the vicinity of Bear Seamount and Physalia Seamount, and areas surrounding the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR-ECO), focusing on the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone.

The deep water biodiversity survey purpose is to collect voucher specimens of fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans; collect tissue samples for future analysis of taxonomy, systematics, and food-web relationships; photograph freshly collected specimens and systematic characters; and provide research opportunities and training in taxonomy, systematic and field oceanographic techniques for students and professional researchers.

Available deep water systematics data are field identification records only. All post-survey changes to species identification or taxonomic nomenclature will not be reflected in this data set.

Available to qualified researchers.

1. Formal request in writing usually to the data owner/contact or Center Director.

2. Requester is contacted by data owner to review and verify the request content and details for data delivery options.

3. If data are confidential then owner will determine if the data may be released to the requester.

4. If data can be released, the data is downloaded and packaged for delivery electronically; or the requester may be directed to where the data are available online.

User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. Acknowledgement of NOAA/NMFS/NEFSC, as the source from which these data were obtained in any publications and/or other representations of these, data is suggested.

RDBMS: Oracle

SCS and FSCS data collection software programs employ real-time validation and must meet database integrity constraints. Prior to FSCS data collection, paper logs were pre-audited prior to keypunching. Data were then subject to post-audits.

Archiving solution for Oracle Data Sets is yet to be determined.

Archival of source data preserving unaltered collected data, Scheduled backups, remote storage backups, password protection.

Vessel sensor data are collected electronically using SCS. Station, catch and biological data were collected on paper logs until 2003 when it was collected digitally using the Fisheries Scientific Computing System (FSCS) V 1.0 data acquisition software. The survey conducted in 2014 utilized an updated version of the FSCS data acquisition system. Data were audited after completion of a survey and prior to being released.