Benthic Grab Data for September 2001 in Wells, Maine (benthos)

In fall 2001, researchers from the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the NOAA Office for Coastal Management conducted a project to map benthic habitats in the York and Webhannet rivers in southern Maine. The team completed two weeks of fieldwork in September 2001, collecting sediment profile images at 382 stations and sediment grab samples at 93 stations. This data set represents the benthic community information gathered from grab sampling.

Original contact information:

Contact Name: Dr. Michele Dionne

Contact Org: Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

Phone: (207) 646-1555

The Wells Reserve is using the 2001 grab and SPI information to characterize benthic habitats within the York and Webhannet rivers, and to examine relationships between animal communities and sediment characteristics as well as the potential effects of dredging activities. Identification and enumeration of infauna, biomass, and benthic community parameters were measured from the benthic grab samples. These data were collected to examine community distributions throughout Webhannet and York Rivers.

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While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within limits of the state of the art, NOAA will not assume any liability for damages caused by any inaccuracies in these data, or failure in their use.

Alternately, the data can be obtained by contacting the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. Address: 342 Laudholm Farm Road, Wells, Maine 04090 Phone: (207) 646-1555;

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These data should be used for resource mapping and comparison purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within limits of the state of the art, NOAA and the Wells Reserve will not assume any liability for damages caused by any inaccuracies in these data, or failure in their use. For use of these data in published analyses with the first two years of development, please contact Dr. Michele Dionne at the Wells Reserve for use permission.

Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.0 (Build 2195) Service Pack 4; ESRI ArcCatalog 8.3.0.800

Stations were located in the field using a differential Global Positioning System (GPS), and station coordinates, date and time of day were recorded upon arrival at each station.

Not relevant to the data set.

All grab data were not included in this data layer. Abundances for taxonomic groups, community diversity, species richness, evenness, total abundance, cluster group analyses, and abundance of species groups (polychaetes, oligochaetes, gastropods, bivalves, amphipods, crustaceans, and all others) were included in this data layer. Biomass data and abundance of individual species were not included, but these data can be found in the project database at the Wells Reserve.

All data are believed to be logically consistent.