Sediment trap data from Deep Water Horizon measured from R/V Cape Hatteras cruise CH0710 and the RR1 M2 VK02 Mooring at the Gulf of Mexico, Visoca Knoll site VK826 in 2010 (GoMX Sed Trap project)

Website: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/511712
Version: 22 April 2014
Version Date: 2014-04-22

Project
» RAPID Response in Gulf of Mexico: Sediment Trap Investigations (GoMX Sed Trap)

Program
» Gulf of Mexico - Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (GoMX - DHOS)
ContributorsAffiliationRole
German, Christopher R.Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)Principal Investigator
Manganini, StevenWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)Contact
Rauch, ShannonWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)BCO-DMO Data Manager


Dataset Description

Mass flux data from sediment trap deployed near the Deep Water Horizon site. The trap was deployed from 25-June-2010 to 07-January-2011.

Note (05 May 2014): Additional data (POC, PIC, H, N, Si_bio, Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Si, Sr, Ti) will be made available upon completion of futher analyses and manuscript publication.


Methods & Sampling

Time-series sampling (from 25-June-2010 to 07-Jan-2011, at a sampling interval of 15 days) was undertaken using a standard McLane PARFLUX Mk8 sediment trap.  All data were generated in the WHOI PARFLUX laboratory following standard procedures (Eggiman et al., 1980; Honjo et al., 1995). Samples were processed through a 10-positon sample splitter and aliquots dried and weighed to obtain mass flux data. Further samples were then digested using standard methods to obtain concentrations per known mass of sample.


Data Processing Description

Sample concentrations (mass/mass) have been multiplied by mass flux results (mass/area/time) to obtain fluxes of different chemical species. Thus concentration of parameter X, is multiplied by mass flux (F-mass) to obtain flux of parameter X (F-X): F-X = F-mass x [X]

BCO-DMO Processing Notes:
- modified parameter names to conform to BCO-DMO naming conventions;
- replaced spaces with underscores;
- changed format of dates to mm/dd/yyyy;
- changed lat and lon from degrees and decimal minutes to decimal degrees.


[ table of contents | back to top ]

Data Files

File
sed_trap.csv
(Comma Separated Values (.csv), 1.40 KB)
MD5:0e7e81927945947d424da5e2071476ca
Primary data file for dataset ID 511712

[ table of contents | back to top ]

Parameters

ParameterDescriptionUnits
funding_agencyName of funding agency. text
siteName of the site. text
latLatitude of the sediment trap. decimal degrees
lonLongitude of the sediment trap. decimal degrees
depth_wDepth of the water (seafloor). meters (m)
trap_depthDepth of the sediment trap. meters (m)
trap_idTrap identifier. text
sampleSample number. integer
date_openDate the sample cup was opened. mm/dd/yyyy
date_closedDate the sample cup was closed. mm/dd/yyyy
intervalSampling interval (number of days open). days
trap_areaTrap area. square meters (m2)
lt_1mm_wtWeight of particles less than 1 millimeter (mm). milligrams (mg)
lt_1mm_fluxFlux of particles less than 1 millimeter (mm). milligrams per square meter per day (mg/m2/d)


[ table of contents | back to top ]

Instruments

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
McLane PARFLUX Mk 8
Generic Instrument Name
McLane PARFLUX Mark 8 Sediment Trap
Generic Instrument Description
The Mark 8 Sediment Trap is a time-series instrument that autonomously collects the flux of settling particles on an operator-defined schedule. The wide top funnel accumulates particulate specimens into individual sample bottles. The cone interior is natural polyethylene. Deploys from a stand-alone mooring or a large high-tension vertical array. McLane Mark 8 Data Sheet (PDF) McLane website: http://www.mclanelabs.com/master_page/product-type/samplers/sediment-traps


[ table of contents | back to top ]

Deployments

CH0710

Website
Platform
R/V Cape Hatteras
Start Date
2010-06-21
End Date
2010-06-25
Description
Sediment trap deployment at Visoca Knoll site VK826, Northern Gulf of Mexico. This cruise was funded by NSF award OCE-1044289. Original cruise data are available from the NSF R2R data catalog

Viosca_Knoll_VK826_2010

Website
Platform
RR1 M2 VK02 Mooring
Start Date
2010-06-25
End Date
2010-12-22
Description
RR1 M2 VK02 mooring deployed at Viosca Knoll site VK826, Northern Gulf of Mexico: 29°09.62’N, 88°01.13’W, 426m water depth.


[ table of contents | back to top ]

Project Information

RAPID Response in Gulf of Mexico: Sediment Trap Investigations (GoMX Sed Trap)

Coverage: Gulf of Mexico


Description from NSF award abstract:
In September 2009, two time-series sediment trap and current meter moorings were deployed in the northern Gulf of Mexico to investigate biogenic fluxes settling to the seafloor (and larval recruitment) at two well-characterized and significant sites of combined deep-water coral and chemosynthetic tube-worm colonies (Fisher et al., 2007). Each of these traps, set just above the seabed and in water depths of 400-450 m, have been collecting a new sample of settling material every two weeks since 11 September 2009 and will continue to do so until 2nd July 2010 when their last sample bottle will be rotated shut and the traps will await recovery as part of an already-funded field program (NOAA-MMS) scheduled for November. Serendipitously, however, these two traps are located just 32 nmiles to the NE and 81 nmiles to the WSW of the recent Deepwater Horizon incident and continuing oil release from the seafloor. Continuous monitoring by NOAA has shown that at least one of these two study sites became overlain by oil discharge at the ocean surface by the end of April and that both sites are now overlain by at least light to medium concentrations of hydrocarbons ± dispersant. What remains unestablished at this point, however, is what is happening at depth and what impacts there may be at the Gulf of Mexico seafloor and, specifically, its pristine and unique deepwater coral/chemosynthetic tube-worm colonies. The purpose of this proposal, therefore, is two-fold. First we seek to join a rapid response research cruise to the area to deploy two additional short sediment trap and current meter moorings to ensure that we maintain continuity in the sampling that began 6 months before the incident and remains ongoing at each of the two sites that we had previously targeted as being of most significance in terms of deepwater coral/chemosynthetic tubeworm ecosystems. If we do not achieve that, our time series will end on July 2nd. Second, and anticipating that there will be a wealth of additional studies that many other PIs will wish to pursue, we seek sufficient funds to conduct initial characterization from these samples (plus those from our earlier deployments) as soon as they are recovered (already-funded cruise in November 2010). Specifically, we anticipate generating a suite of archived samples with coregistered information on mass and biogenic flux (to include inorganic and organic carbon content) and preliminary "finger-printing" of any hydrocarbon signatures present in each sample.

Publications resulting from this research:
H.K.White, P-Y.Hsing, W.Cho, T.M.Shank, E.E.Cordes, A.M.Quattrini, R.K.Nelson , R.Camilli, A.W.J.Demopoulos, C.R.German, J.M.Brooks, H.H.Roberts, W.Shedd, C.M.Reddy and C.R.Fisher. 2012. Impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on a deep-water coral community in the Gulf of Mexico. PNAS, v.109, p. 20303-203.



[ table of contents | back to top ]

Program Information

Gulf of Mexico - Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (GoMX - DHOS)

Coverage: Northern Gulf of Mexico


Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID)
The RAPID funding mechanism is used for proposals having a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events.
 

GOM - Broader Impacts
The need to understand the impact of this largest oil spill to date on ecosystems and biochemical cycling is self evident. The consequences of the disaster and accompanying clean up measures (e.g. the distribution of dispersants) need to be evaluated to guide further mediating measures and to develop and improve responses to similar disasters in the future. Would it be advantageous if such oil aggregates sink, or should it rather remain suspended? Possibly measures can be developed to enhance sinking or suspension (e.g. addition of ballast minerals) once we understand their current formation and fate. Understanding the particle dynamics following the input of large amounts of oil and dispersants into the water is a prerequisite to develop response strategies for now and in the future.



[ table of contents | back to top ]

Funding

Funding SourceAward
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE)

[ table of contents | back to top ]