Dataset: Benthic community at Sitka Sound and Torch Bay

Name: Benthic community cover and counts in Sitka Sound and Torch Bay, Alaska from 1988 to 2019
Published: 2021-02-27
Keywords: algae, benthic, Sitka sound, Torch Bay, Alaska, kelp monitoring, biota, oceans

Cite This Dataset

DOI:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.842632.1

Spatial Extent: N:58.3279 E:-135.293 S:56.9638 W:-136.817

Temporal Extent: 1988-05-08 - 2019-08-07

Project:

CAREER: Energy fluxes and community stability in a dynamic, high-latitude kelp ecosystem (High latitude kelp dynamics)

Principal Investigator:

Kristy J. Kroeker (University of California-Santa Cruz, UCSC)

Co-Principal Investigator:

James A. Estes (University of California-Santa Cruz, UCSC)

Peter T. Raimondi (University of California-Santa Cruz, UCSC)

Contact:

Kristy J. Kroeker (University of California-Santa Cruz, UCSC)

BCO-DMO Data Manager:

Dana Stuart Gerlach (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Taylor Heyl (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Version:

Version Date:

2021-02-27

Restricted:

Validated:

Yes

Current State:

Final no updates expected

Benthic community cover and counts in Sitka Sound and Torch Bay, Alaska from 1988 to 2019

Abstract:

This dataset is part of a suite of studies conducted in Southeast Alaska to determine how kelp communities respond to variable environmental conditions arising from seasonal variability as well as changing ocean temperature and acidification conditions. The benthic communities in Sitka Sound and Torch Bay, Alaska were investigated at 19 sites from 1988 through 2019. Twenty quadrats were placed at random locations along a transect line, then benthic species were counted or the percent cover of the species was estimated in each quadrat.

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Archival Copy

Version Date	Archive	Persistent Identifier	Date Assigned
2021-02-27	Marine Biological Laboratory/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Library (MBLWHOI DLA)	10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.842632.1	2021-07-14

Methods & Sampling

Observations were made during May through September during six years ranging from 1988 through 2019. At each site twenty quadrats were placed at random locations along a transect line. Benthic species were either counted or the cover of the species was estimated in each quadrat. The species recorded were algae and kelps including giant kelp, bull kelp, sieve kelp, ribbon kelp, acid kelp, ribbed kelp, suction-cup kelp, and others.

In 2019, only Agarum fimbriatum was counted, but prior to that year, the sieve kelp that was counted included all Agarum species.

Small kelp is defined as kelp too small to distinguish the genus, typically less than ten centimeters (<10cm)

GPS coordinates are only relevant for data collected after 1988

Data Processing Description

BCO-DMO processing description:
- Converted dates to ISO data format (yyyy-mm-dd)
- Adjusted field/parameter names to comply with database requirements
- Missing data identifier of 'nd' used (BCO-DMO's default)
- Added a conventional header with dataset name, PI names, version date

Data Files

File
benthic_cover_counts_data.csv (Comma Separated Values (.csv), 117.99 KB) MD5:fc01cb35c0ce243ccb829bbc1b6e1940 Primary data file for dataset ID 842632

More Information about this dataset

Funding Sources

Funding Source	Award Number
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-1752600
David and Lucile Packard Foundation	Packard - Kelp Ecosystem Dynamics
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation	Sloan - Kelp Ecosystem Dynamics

Deployments

None available yet

Instruments

Global Positioning System Receiver

Supplied Name: hand-held GPS

Supplied Description:

GPS coordinates were take using a handheld GPS unit (2018 data with Garmin Legend, other years unspecified)

Instrument Type

Generic Name: Global Positioning System Receiver

Acronym: GPS

Community Identifier: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L05/current/POS03/

Generic Description:

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based radionavigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to civilian users on a continuous worldwide basis. The U.S. Air Force develops, maintains, and operates the space and control segments of the NAVSTAR GPS transmitter system. Ships use a variety of receivers (e.g. Trimble and Ashtech) to interpret the GPS signal and determine accurate latitude and longitude.

Parameters

Date and time formats are described in python strftime() syntax.

Supplied Name	Supplied description	Supplied Units	Standard Name
ISO_Date	Date of survey (yyyy-mm-dd) Format: %Y-%m-%d	unitless	date
Area	Location of survey	unitless	region
Site	Site surveyed at each location	unitless	site
Latitude	Latitude	decimal degrees	lat
Longitude	Longitude (west is negative)	decimal degrees	lon
Depth	Depth of survey in feet	feet	depth
Replicate	Replicate quadrat	unitless	replicate
Encrusting_Coralline	Percent cover of encrusting coralline algae	percent (%)	percent_cover
Cymathaere	Percent cover of Cymathaere triplicata	percent (%)	percent_cover
Codium	Percent cover of Codium green algae species	percent (%)	percent_cover
Desmarestia	Percent cover of Desmarestia brown algae species	percent (%)	percent_cover
Alaria_marginata	Count of ribbon kelp Alaria Marginata species	count	count
Alaria_spp	Count of Alaria species	count	count
Laminaria_cover	Percent cover of Laminaria species	percent (%)	percent_cover
Laminaria_spp	Count of Laminaria species	count	count
Laminaria_yezoensis	Count of Laminaria yezoensis	count	count
Pleurophycus	Count of Pleurophycus species	count	count
Nereocystis_luetkeana	Count of bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana	count	count
Macrocystis_integrifolia_pyr	Count of Macrocystic integrifolia (aka Macrocystis pyrifera)	count	count
Costaria	Count of Costaria costata	count	count
Agarum	Count of Agarum species (except 2019)	count	count
Agarum_fi_2019	Count of Agarum fimbriatum in the year 2019	count	count
Small_kelp	Count of small kelp (typically less than 10cm)	count	count
Fleshy_red	Percent cover of fleshy red algae	percent (%)	percent_cover
Suspension_feeder	Percent cover of suspension feeding invertebrates	percent (%)	percent_cover
Total_kelp	Count of total kelp	count	count

Database

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Dataset: Benthic community at Sitka Sound and Torch Bay