National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Shallow water conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles for selected locations across the Mariana Archipelago

Near-shore shallow water Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) surveys provided in this collection were conducted at selected sites around the Mariana Archipelago as part of the ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Shallow water CTD surveys provide vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, and turbidity providing indications for water masses and local sea water chemistry changes. These surveys are conducted to characterize the spatial structure of the physical and chemical properties of the ocean environment influencing the living coral reef resources observed during Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA) and towed-diver surveys, both of which are archived separately.

Shallow CTD casts are vertical profiles (max 30 meter depth, downcast only) of water column conductivity, temperature, and pressure (Sea-Bird Electronics, SBE19-plus; accuracy of 0.005 S m-1 in conductivity, 0.0002C in temperature, and 0.1% in pressure). A transmissometer (Wetlabs Inc; provides profiles of beam transmittance, related to turbidity) and a dissolved oxygen sensor (Sea-Bird Electronics, SBE43; accuracy of 2% of saturation) are also attached. Data are collected by lowering the CTD in a profiling mode from a small boat at a descent rate of approximately 0.5 to 0.75m s-1 to a maximum depth of 30m. Data processing is performed using Seabird Instrument's SeaSoft SBE Data Processing Software.

Tags: 743, 98fnbt, aguihan, aguihan island (aguijan) (14n145e0006), aguihan island reefs, alamagan island, alamagan island (17n145e0002), aquatic habitat, asuncion island, asuncion island (19n145e0001), biosphere, climate change, cnmi, coastal processes, commonwealth of the northern mariana islands, conductivity, coral reef ecosystem division, coral reef ecosystem program, coral reefs, corals, country/territory, cred, crep, density, e5nm36, earth science, ecosystem sciences division, esd, farallon de pajaros, farallon de pajaros (20n144e0001), guam, guam (13n144e0000), guguan, guguan island, guguan island (17n145e0001), in situ physical, mariana archipelago, mariana islands, marianas, marianas trench marine national monument, maug, maug island, maug island (20n145e0001), national coral reef monitoring program, national coral reef monitoring program (ncrmp), ncrmp, northern mariana islands, northern mariana islands ( cnmi ) (18n146e0000), numeric data sets, ocean basin, ocean pressure, ocean temperature, oceanography, oceans, pacific islands fisheries science center, pacific ocean, pagan, pagan island, pagan island (18n145e0001), pifsc, profile, reef habitat, reef monitoring and assessment, rota, rota island, rota island ( luta ) (14n145e0007), saipan, saipan island, saipan island (15n145e0002), salinity, salinity/density, sarigan island, sarigan island (16n145e0003), sea level pressure, thermocline, tinian, tinian island (14n145e0005), tinian island reefs, triennial, ujyych, united states of america, water pressure, water temperature, western pacific ocean, zoology
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce