79393 Entity Published / External 79367 West Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey Observations of Deep-sea Corals and Sponges Data Set These data attributes describe observations of deep-sea corals and sponges from groundfish surveys conducted off the U.S. West Coast using a bottom trawl. Data Table Yes Data attributes of deep-sea coral and sponge samples that align with field Definitions for NOAA’s National Database for Deep-sea Corals and Sponges (database version: 20250306-0), as described below. AccessionID Character No No Active Internal field that holds the offficial identifier for a dataset as it is named upon receipt from the data provider and as it moves through the QA process. The form of this Accession ID [Data Provider Abbreviation]_[SurveyID or other short descriptive term if needed ]_[beginning ObservationYear]_[ending ObservationYear]. AphiaID Integer No No Active AphiaID of 'ScientificName' from World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Access these numeric codes are here: http://www.marinespecies.org/index.php. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 AssociatedSequences Character No No Active Additional ID of samples where genetic sequences have been submitted to GenBank, for example. Multiple sequences may be separated by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA AssociatedTaxa Character No No Active Notable organisms that co-occur with the coral or sponge observation. A list of organisms may be separated by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. Commercially fished species are of particular interest to regional fishery management councils. Methods for determining association (e.g., “touching” or “fish within one meter”) should be noted in 'OccurrenceComments.' [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA CMECSBiotic Factor No No Active Biotic community present at the observation site. See the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard catalog for description https://www.cmecscatalog.org/cmecs/index.jsp . CMECSGeoForm Factor No No Active Tectonic or geologic features, such as shelf, canyon, or seamount. See the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard catalog for description https://www.cmecscatalog.org/cmecs/index.jsp . CMECSSubstrate Factor No No Active Geologic or biogenic substrate. See the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard catalog for description https://www.cmecscatalog.org/cmecs/index.jsp . CatalogNumber Integer No No Active Unique record identifier controlled by the DSCRTP. It is persistent and the numbers are retired if records are deleted from the database. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 CategoricalAbundance Factor No No Active Abundance category of corals/sponges of the same ScientificName at the sample location. If data is presence only, write 'present' in CategoricalAbundance and set IndividualCount = '-999'. present: Valid value: present; 1: Valid value: 1; 2-10: Valid value: 2-10; 11-20: Valid value: 11-20; 21-50: Valid value: 21-50; 51-100: Valid value: 51-100; >100: Valid value: >100; NA: Valid value: NA Citation Character No No Active A list (concatenated and separated) of identifiers (publication, bibliographic reference, global unique identifier, URI) of literature associated with the Occurrence. Equivalent to the term associatedReferences in Darwin Core. Multiple citations should be separated by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. The preferred style guide is Chicago/Turabian. Michigan State University Libraries publishes a helpful guide on how to cite data at the following link: http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/citedata. Class Factor No No Active The Class in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA CombinedNameID Factor No No Active A simple concatenation of 'ScientificName' and 'Morphospecies'. Usage Notes: internal under development [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Condition Factor No No Active Condition of the organism (coral or sponge) when collected or observed. Use 'Damaged' when greater than 20 % of the colony is damaged. If both live and dead organisms are present, use 'Live'. Usage Notes: Where both live and dead coral are present, use 'Live' Live: Valid value: Live; Damaged: Valid value: Damaged; Dead: Valid value: Dead; NA: Valid value: NA Country Factor No No Active Country in whose Exclusive Economic Zone the observation or sample was collected , based on Exclusive Economic Zones Boundaries (EEZ) [World EEZ v7 (2012-11-20)] from http://marineregions.org/downloads.php . Usage Notes: NA = outside of EEZ [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Cover Integer No No Active Percent of sampled area covered by organism of interest. This field is generally used for framework-forming stony corals for which individual counts are difficult. DIC Float No No Active Dissolved inorganic carbon, units should be micromoles per kilogram. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 DataContact Factor No No Active The name and e-mail of the individual who is the primary representative of the 'DataProvider'. The preferred format is 'Last Name, First Name; e-mail'. 'DataProvider' and 'DataContact' may be the same person, if 'DataProvider' is an individual and not an institution. DataProvider Character No No Active Identifies the originator of the data. This is the institution, publication, or individual, who ultimately deserves credit for acquiring or aggregating the data and making it available. A single institution or individual is preferred multiple. When an individual is listed, use 'Last Name, First Name' format. Publications should be abbreviated as such, 'Pante et al. 2012'. DatabaseVersion Character No No Active Version of the entire database indicated as a date-based version in the format YYYYMMDD-<iteration>. Example: '20190226-0' for the version created on February 26, 2019. The zero on the end indicates the iteration number on that day. If another version of the database was created on that same day, it would be indicated as '20190226-1'. Usage Notes: In ERDDAP as a global variable DatasetID Character No No Active Standardized identifier for each dataset within the larger database. This field is used as the primary grouping variable for associating records together and for creating the dataset dashboards Usage Notes: This value can be thought of as a standardized version of a collection level ID for the data set. In some cases we break the data down below the collection level if the collection is very large and has differing methods of sampling (see SamplingEquipment term) Density Float No No Active Number of individuals (or colonies) per square meter for an observation. DepthInMeters Float No No Active Best single depth value for sample as a positive value in meters. DepthMethod Factor No No Active Select method by which best singular depth in meters (DepthInMeters) was determined. Place method details in 'LocationComments'. Select 'averaged' when start and stop depths were averaged. Select 'assigned' when depth was derived from bathymetry at the location. Select 'reported' when depth was reported based on instrumentation or described in literature. averaged: Valid value: averaged; assigned: Valid value: assigned; reported: Valid value: reported EndLatitude Float No No Active Ending latitude in decimal degrees for observations or samples collected over a distance (e.g., trawls, transects). Precision should be the same as that originally reported; ideally to five decimal places. Geographic coordinate system should be WGS1984. Use 'NavType' and 'LocationAccuracy' to report measurement method and accuracy, respectively. Use 'LocationComments' to make addtional notes about location determination. EndLongitude Float No No Active Ending longitude in decimal degrees for observations or samples collected over a distance (e.g., trawls, transects). Precision should be the same as that originally reported; ideally to five decimal places. Geographic coordinate system should be WGS1984. Use 'NavType' and 'LocationAccuracy' to report measurement method and accuracy, respectively. Use 'LocationComments' to make addtional notes about location determination. EntryDate Date No No Active The date on which the record was initially merged into the DSCRTP database by NOAA. Format YYYY-MM-DD. (UTC date). EntryUpdate Date No No Active The most recent date the DSCRTP Program updated or verified the record. Format: YYYY-MM-DD. This variable will only contain a value if the DSCRTP Program has updated a record which has previously been published in the database. Also see the related variables that inform record versioning: 'Modified' and 'EntryDate'. EventID Factor No No Active ID of the survey event (e.g., dive number, transect, or trawl haul number) on which the sample was made. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Family Factor No No Active The Family in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA FishCouncilRegion Factor No No Active U.S. Fisheries Management Council (FMC) region where the occurrence is located. In cases of boundary overlap, two councils can be listed separated by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. If the occurrence is in state waters, the adjacent FMC region will be listed. For a map, see: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/management/councils/ . North Pacific: Valid value: North Pacific; Pacific: Valid value: Pacific; Western Pacific: Valid value: Western Pacific; Gulf of Mexico: Valid value: Gulf of Mexico; South Atlantic: Valid value: South Atlantic; Caribbean: Valid value: Caribbean; Mid-Atlantic: Valid value: Mid-Atlantic; New England: Valid value: New England; NA: Valid value: NA Flag Logical No No Active A value of '1' means record is flagged as 'do not release' for quality assurance. A value of '0' means that the record is not flagged and it can be released. '-999' means that the record has not yet been assessed for quality. 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 FlagReason Character No No Active Reason why the record was flagged for QA. We may have multiple flag reasons separated by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Genus Factor No No Active The Genus in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Habitat Factor No No Active A description of the geological and biotic environment in which the organism was sampled or observed, described in plain language, preferably in a manner consistent with Coastal and Marine Classification Standard (CMECS) or other regional habitat classification standards. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA HighlightImageFilePath Character No No Active Full file path and file name pointing to an image of the occurrence. This field should only be populated if the image is an especially good representative image for the taxa of interest. The image can be the same or different than that reported in ImageFilePath. The file path and name will provide the Program with enough information to link the image to the record. Two or more images can be submitted per observation, separated by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. For example, an in-situ and on-deck image of the same organism. If multiple images are submitted, the first image in the list should be the one that you want displayed on the web mapping portal. This primary image will be displayed when a web mapping portal user clicks on a coral or sponge point in the map. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA HighlightImageURL Character No No Active URL that points to the highlight image hosted on the DSC portal or appropriate archive that displays the specimen of record. A highlight image is one that is an especially good representative image of the taxa as determined by the 'DataProvider'. In the case of records submitted to the Program, this record is based on the image file indicated in the HighlightImageFilePath variable. This value is created by the Program. If this image is null, then it is assumed that the imagery associated with this record is not particularly notable. This image URL can be the same as that reported in 'ImageURL', but does not necessarily have to be the same image. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA IdentificationComments Character No No Active Comments and other info about the characteristics (e.g., color) or taxonomy of the of the sampled or observed organism. If the record is of a type specimen (e.g., holotype), this should be identified in this field along with the associated scientific name and citation. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA IdentificationDate Date No No Active UTC date (YYYY-MM-DD). Date on which the sample was identified. If day or month is unknown, use YYYY-MM or YYYY. YYYY-MM-DD: Valid value: YYYY-MM-DD; NA: Valid value: NA IdentificationQualifier Character No No Active Taxonomic identification method and level of expertise. Desired format would be along the following lines: 'genetic ID'; 'morphological ID from sample by taxonomic expert'; 'ID by expert from image'; 'ID by non-expert from video'; etc. An additional qualifier may be included (e.g., 'ID Uncertain'). [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA IdentificationVerificationStatus Integer No No Active IdentificationVerificationStatus - Score of the quality of the identification. 1 = identified from image only, 2 = identified from image and physical specimens sampled from the same region, 3 = identified from image and that specific physical specimen. Usage Notes: internal under development 1: Valid value: 1; 2: Valid value: 2; 3: Valid value: 3; -999: Valid value: -999 IdentifiedBy Factor No No Active Name of individual or institution that assigned the 'ScientificName.' Desired format is 'LastName, FirstName' or a list of names delimited by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA ImageFilePath Character No No Active Full file path and file name to still image(s) that recorded the observation. The file path and name will provide the Program with enough information to link the image to the record. Two or more images can be submitted per observation, separated by the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. For example, an in-situ and on-deck image of the same organism. If multiple images are submitted, the first image in the list should be the one that you want displayed on the web mapping portal. This primary image will be displayed when a web mapping portal user clicks on a coral or sponge point in the map. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA ImageURL Character No No Active URL that points to the image on the DSC portal or appropriate archive that displays the specimen of record. In the case of records submitted to the Program, this record is based on the image file indicated in the ImageFilePath variable. This value is created by the Program. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA IndividualCount Integer No No Active Number of individuals (e.g., sponges or non-colonial corals), colonies (e.g., octocorals, black corals) or patches (e.g., framework forming corals where individual colonies cannot be distinguished) as a positive integer. If categorical, use 'CategoricalAbundance' . Write -999 if no count is available for presence-only data. Add 'present' to the 'CategoricalAbundance' field. [positive integers]: Valid value: [positive integers]; -999: Valid value: -999 LargeMarineEcosystem Factor No No Active Large Marine Ecosystem using designations set forth at http://geonetwork.vliz.be/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/acc70a46-6a47-411c-9815-436234daba0d. 'NA' = outside of LME boundary. This field is calculated by the Program based on occurrence location. [list of LME's]: Valid value: [list of LME's]; NA: Valid value: NA Latitude Float No No Active Latitude in decimal degrees where the sample or observation was collected. Precision should be the same as that originally reported. Geographic coordinate system should be WGS1984. Use 'NavType' and 'LocationAccuracy' to report measurement method and accuracy, respectively. Use 'LocationComments' to make addtional notes about location determination. Usage Notes: We should always record original Latitude and Longitude in VerbatimLatitude and VerbatimLongitude. Precision should not be overestimated. LifeScienceIdentifier Character No No Active Life Science Identifiers are a way to name and locate pieces of information on the web. Essentially, an LSID is a unique identifier for some data, and the LSID protocol specifies a standard way to locate the data (as well as a standard way of describing that data). They are a little like DOIs used by many publishers. An LSID is represented as a uniform resource name (URN) with the following format: 'urn:lsid:Authority:Namespace:ObjectID[:Version]'. An example using WoRMS where genus = 'Thesea': 'urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:125315'. When searched on common web search services, this LSID provides a clear link to this resource. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125315. This value is assigned by DSCRTP and uses the WoRMS database as the primary authority. Usage Notes: In practice, for most all records in this database, it will simply be a concatenation of the string 'urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxnam:' and the 'AphiaID' [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Locality Factor No No Active A specific named place or named feature of origin for the specimen or observation (e.g., Dixon Entrance, Diaphus Bank, or Sur Ridge). Multiple locality names can be separated by the pipe symbol,' | ', arranged in a list from largest to smallest area (e.g., Gulf of Mexico; West Florida Shelf, Pulley Ridge). [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA LocationAccuracy Factor No No Active The horizontal distance (in meters) from the given Latitude and Longitude that describes the range of error in the position. Leave the value empty if the uncertainty is unknown or cannot be estimated. Zero is not a valid value for this term. 20m: Valid value: 20m; 50m: Valid value: 50m; 100m: Valid value: 100m; 500m: Valid value: 500m; 1000m: Valid value: 1000m; >1000m: Valid value: >1000m LocationComments Character No No Active Comments and other info about how the location (including depth) was determined. Also comment on any uncertainty regarding the geographic or depth coordinates. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Longitude Float No No Active Longitude in decimal degrees where the sample or observation was collected. Precision should be the same as that originally reported. Geographic coordinate system should be WGS1984. Use 'NavType' and 'LocationAccuracy' to report measurement method and accuracy, respectively. Use 'LocationComments' to make addtional notes about location determination. Usage Notes: We should always record original Latitude and Longitude in VerbatimLatitude and VerbatimLongitude. Precision should not be overestimated. MaximumDepthInMeters Float No No Active Positive integer used to express the maximum depth of the observation. If 'DataProvider' gives a single depth, the 'MinimumDepthInMeters' and 'MaximumDepthInMeters' will be equal. If no depth information was provided, both the min and max terms will be -999. MaximumSize Float No No Active Maximum size of the taxon observed. Methods for determining size (e.g., height or maximum diameter) should be noted in 'OccurrenceComments.' [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 MinimumDepthInMeters Float No No Active Positive integer used to express the minimum depth of the observation. If 'DataProvider' gives a single depth, the 'MinimumDepthInMeters' and 'MaximumDepthInMeters' will be equal. If no depth information was provided, both the min and max terms will be -999. MinimumSize Float No No Active Minimum size of the taxon observed. Methods for determining size (e.g., height or maximum diameter) should be noted in 'OccurrenceComments.' [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 Modified Date No No Active The most recent date the DataProvider updated or verified the record. Format: YYYY-MM-DD. If the DataProvider does not record or provide this information, the date the record became available to NOAA will be used. Usage Notes: This field should never be left null. Morphospecies Factor No No Active A taxonomic species characteristic determined based wholly on observed morphological differences from related species. This field allows the 'DataProvider' to record the the extra detail needed to distinguish among different looking organisms of the same 'ScientificName'. For example, it is common within a given survey that a coral or sponge is clearly identifiable to the 'TaxonRank' of 'genus'. By visual inspection the analyst may also notice morphological differences that are evident, but not diagnostic enough to assigned to 'TaxonRank' of 'species. These morphological notations, e.g. 'msp1, msp2, msp3, or in the case of sponges encrusting, vase, fig, sponge, massive globose etc., may be placed in 'Morphospecies'. This field does not currently have a recommended set of valid values and can be used differently by separate research groups. See related variables, 'OperationalTaxonomicUnit' and 'CombinedNameID'. Usage Notes: Simple morphospecies names (color, morphology, number) are fine (e.g. white, encrusting sp. 1) If possible, it would be good to get the ScientificName associated with a morphospecies at least to Class for sponges (e.g., Hexactinellida, Demospongiae - though I recognize this may not always be possible) and to Family for corals. Don't worry about morphospecies descriptions for well known genera. Get a good image as an example of each morphospecies that we can later use for an ID guide or for subsequent comparisons among observers The exact morphology descriptors are less important than consistency within your annotation across the data set Talk with each other and try to increase consistency within the team. Bottom-line is: Do what you can, but don't agonize over it or spend inordinate amounts of time trying to get perfect morphospecies descriptors. Anything is an advance over what others have done in the past. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA NavType Factor No No Active Navigation type used to determine coordinates (e.g., 'USBL' or 'ship GPS'). Further detail on NavType can be captured in 'LocationComments' ship GPS: Valid value: ship GPS; USBL: Valid value: USBL; LORAN: Valid value: LORAN; other: Valid value: other ObservationDate Date No No Active Date formatted as YYYY-MM-DD. If month or day is unknown use YYYY-MM or YYYY. Please convert from local date to Universal Time Code (UTC). In some rare cases, the 'ObservationDate' is unknown, as for some museum records. Every effort should be made to recover 'ObservationDate' if missing. YYYY-MM-DD: Valid value: YYYY-MM-DD; YYYY-MM: Valid value: YYYY-MM; YYYY: Valid value: YYYY; NA: Valid value: NA ObservationTime Date No No Active Time as hh:mm:ss when the sample/observation occurred. Use UTC. hh:mm:ss: Valid value: hh:mm:ss; NA: Valid value: NA ObservationYear Date No No Active Year the observation was made in YYYY format (or beginning year of a range, if exact year is unknown). YYYY: Valid value: YYYY; NA: Valid value: NA OccurrenceComments Character No No Active Biological or other detail about the observation event that is not addressed elsewhere (e.g. fishing debris). May be remarks from a corresponding column in original data, or 'IndividualCount' values reported as text 'few scattered', or 'pieces' when integers are expected. Ocean Factor No No Active Ocean basin where the observation or sample was collected. Arctic: Valid value: Arctic; North Atlantic: Valid value: North Atlantic; South Atlantic: Valid value: South Atlantic; North Pacific: Valid value: North Pacific; South Pacific: Valid value: South Pacific; Indian: Valid value: Indian; Southern: Valid value: Southern OperationalTaxonomicUnit Integer No No Active An operational taxonomic unit (OTU) is an operational identifier used to classify groups of closely related individuals. OTU is a pragmatic identifier to group individuals by similarity, equivalent to, but not necessarily in line with classical Linnaean taxonomy or modern evolutionary taxonomy. This field does not currently have a recommended set of valid values and can be used differently by separate research groups. See related variables, 'Morphospecies' and 'CombinedNameID'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 Order Factor No No Active The Order in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA OtherData Character No No Active Other data types collected on the same event where this sample was taken. List of data types separated by a comma (e.g.'CTD, push cores'). [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Oxygen Float No No Active Dissolved oxygen in mL/L for EventID. Use best value or averaged value. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 PI Factor No No Active Principal Investigator or Chief Scientist of the cruise during which the sample was collected, or individual who collected the sample. Desired format is 'LastName, FirstName'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA PIAffiliation Factor No No Active Affiliation of the Principal Investigator. Well established acronyms or abbreviations are acceptable (e.g., MBARI or WHOI). [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Phylum Factor No No Active The Phylum in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Purpose Character No No Active Purpose of the cruise during which the sample or observation was collected (e.g. 'deep-sea coral survey', 'exploration', or 'groundfish survey'). [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA RecordType Factor No No Active Denotes the origin and type of record. The options are: published literature ('literature'); a collected specimen, including those from literature ('specimen'); observation from a still image ('still image'); observation from video ('video observation'); cumulative observation from a video transect ('video transect'); notation without a specimen or image ('notation'); or observation from trawl surveys, longline surveys, and/or observer records ('catch record'). literature: Valid value: literature; specimen: Valid value: specimen; still image: Valid value: still image; video observation: Valid value: video observation; still image transect: Valid value: still image transect; video transect: Valid value: video transect; catch record: Valid value: catch record Reporter Factor No No Active Person who submitted the data to the DSCRTP. This person does not have to be the same as DataContact, DataProvider, or PI. Format should be LastName, FirstName [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA ReporterComments Character No No Active Other comments by or about the 'Reporter'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA ReporterEmail Factor No No Active E-mail of the reporter. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Repository Factor No No Active Location where the physical sample, or image is stored. This may be a museum, if samples are physical (e.g., 'Smithsonian NMNH') or it may be an institution (e.g., 'NOAA Central Library') that maintains master copies of images or video. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Salinity Float No No Active Salinity in PSU for 'EventID'. Use best value or averaged value. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 SampleAreaInSquareMeters Float No No Active The area in square meters, if projected vertically to a plane representing the seafloor surface, of the sample space in which the observation was made. Use 'footprintWKT' field to specify the exact shape of the sampling space. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 SampleID Factor No No Active The primary identification label or code of the specimen or catch record exactly as reported by the 'DataProvider'. This field, along with 'TrackingID', is used to establish record provenance at the 'DataProvider' institution. Image-based records should also have a SampleID that is a filename or other identifier chosen by the 'DataProvider'. SampleID should be the primary link back to the original database owned by the 'DataProvider'. An individual SampleID can be repeated. For example, there may be multiple taxa in an single image that would require separate records, so that the same SampleID (ID of the image) may be listed multiple times. SamplingEquipment Factor No No Active Method of data collection. ROV: Valid value: ROV; AUV: Valid value: AUV; submersible: Valid value: submersible; drop camera: Valid value: drop camera; towed camera: Valid value: towed camera; trawl: Valid value: trawl; net: Valid value: net; dredge: Valid value: dredge; longline: Valid value: longline; pot: Valid value: pot; hook and line: Valid value: hook and line; grab: Valid value: grab; corer: Valid value: corer; SCUBA: Valid value: SCUBA; other: Valid value: other; epibenthic sled: Valid value: epibenthic sled ScientificName Character No No Active Taxonomic identification of the sample as a Latin binomial (e.g., Primnoa pacifica), or lowest practical level (e.g., Primnoidae). ScientificNameAuthorship Factor No No Active Author who originally described the species or subspecies. The author should be consistent with AphiaID and TaxonRank. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA ShallowFlag Logical No No Active A value of 1 denotes a coral or sponge record where DepthInMeters is correct but it is less than 50 meters. A value of 0 denotes a coral that has a correct DepthInMeters greater than or equal to 50 meters. Usage Notes: This is created to capture deep water taxa that reach into shallower areas. 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 Species Factor No No Active The specific epithet in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA StartLatitude Float No No Active Starting latitude in decimal degrees for observations or samples collected over a distance (e.g., trawls, transects). Precision should be the same as that originally reported; ideally to five decimal places. Geographic coordinate system should be WGS1984. Use 'NavType' and 'LocationAccuracy' to report measurement method and accuracy, respectively. Use 'LocationComments' to make addtional notes about location determination. StartLongitude Float No No Active Starting longitude in decimal degrees for observations or samples collected over a distance (e.g., trawls, transects). Precision should be the same as that originally reported; ideally to five decimal places. Geographic coordinate system should be WGS1984. Use 'NavType' and 'LocationAccuracy' to report measurement method and accuracy, respectively. Use 'LocationComments' to make addtional notes about location determination. Station Factor No No Active Reference ID of the station where the sample or observation was collected. For example, '78G9-III'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Subclass Factor No No Active The Subclass in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Subfamily Factor No No Active The Subfamily in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Subgenus Factor No No Active The Subgenus in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Suborder Factor No No Active The Suborder in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Subspecies Factor No No Active The Subspecies in which the taxon is classified. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA Substrate Factor No No Active Attachment or contact substrate (e.g., dropstone, outcrop, or boulder) of the organism observed. The purpose is to distinguish habitat (like a sandy plain) from attachment point (for instance, a dropstone in a sandy plain). Methods or classification system should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA SurveyComments Character No No Active Comments and other information about the cruise/survey or programs sponsoring the cruise/survey. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA SurveyID Factor No No Active Name or ID of the cruise or project in which the sample or observation was collected (e.g, 'EX1202L2' or 'Lophelia II: Reefs, Rigs, and Wrecks'). Many events ('EventID') can be associated with one survey ('SurveyID'). Every effort should be made to use a 'SurveyID' which is standard for the vessel or program. The 'SurveyID' will often be referred to as 'cruise ID' in common communication. Synonyms Factor No No Active Other scientific names used for the specimen or observation, including outdated or synonymized names for the taxon, alternate spellings, or previous identifications. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA TA Float No No Active Total alkalinity, units should be micromoles per kilogram. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 TaxonRank Factor No No Active The TaxonRank term is a companion to the ScientificName term. TaxonRank identifies the level in the taxonomic hierarchy of the ScientificName term. phylum: Valid value: phylum; parvphylum: Valid value: parvphylum; gigaclass: Valid value: gigaclass; class: Valid value: class; subclass: Valid value: subclass; infraclass: Valid value: infraclass; order: Valid value: order; suborder: Valid value: suborder; superfamily: Valid value: superfamily; family: Valid value: family; subfamily: Valid value: subfamily; genus: Valid value: genus; subgenus: Valid value: subgenus; species: Valid value: species; subspecies: Valid value: subspecies; forma: Valid value: forma; variety: Valid value: variety Temperature Float No No Active Temperature in degrees Celsius for 'EventID'. Use best value or averaged value. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 TrackingID Factor No No Active Additional ID of the sample or observation provided by the "DataProvider" (e.g. an additional ID of the occurrence used during field activities or other sample tracking). May be used to indicate transects within an "EventID". [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA TypeStatus Factor No No Active The type status (e.g., holotype, paratype, etc.), if any, of the specimen. Additional information (e.g., typified scientific name, publication) should be included in 'IdentificationComments'. Holotype: Valid value: Holotype; Paratype: Valid value: Paratype; Syntype: Valid value: Syntype; Lectotype: Valid value: Lectotype; Paralectotype: Valid value: Paralectotype; Neotype: Valid value: Neotype; Allotype: Valid value: Allotype; Hypotype: Valid value: Hypotype; NA: Valid value: NA VehicleName Factor No No Active Name or ID of the AUV, ROV, submersible, etc. used to collect sample (e.g., 'Jason II'). Provide the full name of the vehicle, in plain text with no prefix. Use the field 'SamplingEquipment' to indicate vehicle type. A list of valid vehicle names is maintained by DSCRTP to verify and standardize data entries in this field. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA VerbatimLatitude Character No No Active Latitude, written exactly as was reported in original data set. Place notes on original coodinate system in 'LocationComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA VerbatimLongitude Character No No Active Longitude, written exactly as was reported in original data set. Place notes on original coodinate system in 'LocationComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA VerbatimScientificName Character No No Active The 'ScientificName' exactly as reported by the 'DataProvider'. VerbatimSize Character No No Active This field is used to store the originally reported Size value if they were not in our required format. If the data provider is available to provide values in our required format, then that is preferable. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA VernacularName Character No No Active Common name(s) of the observed species. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA VernacularNameCategory Factor No No Active Common (vernacular) name category of the organism. (This is assigned by DSCRTP data management processes) alcyonacean (unspecified): Valid value: alcyonacean (unspecified); black coral: Valid value: black coral; calcareous sponge: Valid value: calcareous sponge; demosponge: Valid value: demosponge; fish: Valid value: fish; glass sponge: Valid value: glass sponge; gold coral: Valid value: gold coral; gorgonian coral: Valid value: gorgonian coral; homoscleromorph sponge: Valid value: homoscleromorph sponge; lace coral: Valid value: lace coral; lithotelestid coral: Valid value: lithotelestid coral; longhorn hydrozoan coral: Valid value: longhorn hydrozoan coral; octocorallia (unspecified): Valid value: octocorallia (unspecified); other coral-like hydrozoan: Valid value: other coral-like hydrozoan; scleralcyonacea (unspecified): Valid value: scleralcyonacea (unspecified); sea pen: Valid value: sea pen; soft coral: Valid value: soft coral; sponge (unspecified): Valid value: sponge (unspecified); stony coral (branching): Valid value: stony coral (branching); stony coral (cup coral): Valid value: stony coral (cup coral); stony coral (unspecified): Valid value: stony coral (unspecified) Vessel Factor No No Active Name of the vessel used for collecting the sample or observation. Provide the full name of the vessel, in plain text with no prefix, e.g; 'Ronald H. Brown'. A list of valid vessel names is maintained by DSCRTP to standardize the vessel naming convention. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA WebSite Character No No Active World Wide Web link (URL) to an online resource for the 'SurveyEvent' (e.g., a web page devoted to this dataset or expedition). Multiple URLs can be listed and they should be separated the pipe character with a leading a trailing space, ' | '. valid URL: Valid value: valid URL; NA: Valid value: NA WeightInKg Float No No Active The recorded weight in kilograms of the individuals in the observation. Use 'OccurrenceComments' for weight methods (e.g., dry weight), calculation or estimation procedures, or other details applied in determining weight. footprintSRS Character No No Active A Well-Known Text (WKT) representation of the Spatial Reference System (SRS) for the footprintWKT of the Location. Do not use this term to describe the SRS of the Latitude and Longitude, even if it is the same as for the footprintWKT. 'footprintSRS' must always be populated if 'footprintWKT' is given. Example: The WKT for the standard WGS84 SRS (EPSG:4326) is "GEOGCS["GCS_WGS_1984",DATUM["D_WGS_1984",SPHEROID["WGS_1984",6378137,298.257223563]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0],UNIT["Degree",0.0174532925199433]]" without the enclosing quotes. For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:footprintSRS [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA footprintWKT Character No No Active A Well-Known Text (WKT) representation of the shape (footprint, geometry) that defines the sample area. As an example, for downward looking or oblique still images, this would be a polygon representing the footprint of the viewable area (an orthogonal projection using the sea floor as the projection plane). For a video transect, this would be a polygon that represents the footprint of the entire viewable area throughout the length of the video. To report the actual area of the sample, see 'SampleAreaInSquareMeters'. Also please report 'footprintSRS' if you report 'footprintWKT'. Example: the one-degree bounding box with opposite corners at (longitude=10, latitude=20) and (longitude=11, latitude=21) would be expressed in well-known text as POLYGON ((10 20, 11 20, 11 21, 10 21, 10 20)). For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:footprintWKT [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA gisCRMDepth Float No No Active GIS derived depth (bathymetry is Coastal Relief Model) gisCaribbeanFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisEtopoDepth Float No No Active GIS derived depth (bathymetry is ETOPO1) . gisGEBCODepth Float No No Active GIS-derived depth at the reported 'Latitude' and 'Longitude'. The GEBCO_2020 grid is used. https://www.gebco.net/data_and_products/gridded_bathymetry_data/ gisGEBCODist Float No No Active Distance to nearest official GEBCO locality (km). gisGEBCOLocality Factor No No Active GIS derived Locality (based on GEBCO point placenames) - 30km max search distance for matching. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA gisGulfOfMexicoFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisIHOSeas Factor No No Active GIS derived IHO Seas. gisLME Factor No No Active GIS derived Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) region. http://geonetwork.vliz.be/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/acc70a46-6a47-411c-9815-436234daba0d gisLandCheck Logical No No Active GIS based field for internal use in data QA. 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisMEOW Factor No No Active GIS derived Marine Ecoregions of the World, MEOW (Spalding et al., 2007) see: https://www.marineregions.org/sources.php#meow. gisMidAtlanticFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisNGIADist Float No No Active Distance to nearest official NGIA locality (km). gisNGIALocality Factor No No Active GIS derived Locality (based on NGIA point placenames) - 30km max search distance for matching. [value]: Valid value: [value]; NA: Valid value: NA gisNewEnglandFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisNorthPacificFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisPacificFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisSouthAtlanticFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 gisWesternPacificFMC Logical No No Active GIS derived (intersects with FMC idendified in name). 1: Valid value: 1; 0: Valid value: 0; -999: Valid value: -999 pCO2 Float No No Active Partial pressure of CO2 in seawater, units = microatmospheres. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 pH Float No No Active pH value in units of total pH. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. [value]: Valid value: [value]; -999: Valid value: -999 pHscale Factor No No Active Scale used to measure pH. Methods should be reported in 'OccurrenceComments'. total: Valid value: total; NBS: Valid value: NBS; seawater: Valid value: seawater; free: Valid value: free; NA: Valid value: NA Author 2025-03-06 Organization Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) deepseacoraldata@noaa.gov Data Steward 2025-03-06 Organization Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) deepseacoraldata@noaa.gov Distributor 2025-03-06 Organization Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) deepseacoraldata@noaa.gov Metadata Contact 2025-03-06 Organization Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) deepseacoraldata@noaa.gov Publisher 2025-03-06 Organization Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) deepseacoraldata@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/waf/dsc-data/metadata/20221213-0_NOAA_NDB_corals_sponges_data_dictionary.html 2025-03-06 Organization Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) Field definitions for the National Database in a web viewable format. Not Applicable Not Chked gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:79393 Curt Whitmire 2026-03-06T00:20:16 Curt Whitmire 2026-05-28T20:59:21 2026-05-28 Northwest Fisheries Science Center NWFSC 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle WA 98112 USA 206-860-3200 https://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov 1001 Public No 1 Year