DOI: 10.24431/rw1k1c
title: Oceanographic Monitoring in Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, Water Quality, Meteorological, and Nutrient Data collected by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System's System-wide Monitoring Program (NERRS SWMP), 2012-2016, Gulf Watch Alaska Environmental Drivers Component

description: This data is part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA), Environmental Drivers component of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, project numbers 12120114-G, 13120114-G, 14120114-G, 15120114-G, and 16120114-G. Gulf Watch Alaska is the long-term ecosystem monitoring program of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council for the marine ecosystem affected by the 1989 oil spill.

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System's System-wide Monitoring Program (NERRS SWMP) collected water quality, meteorological, and nutrient data in 26 reserves in the United States and Puerto Rico beginning in 1995. This dataset represents data collected under the SWMP protocols by one of the reserves- the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve System (KBNERR) from 2012 to 2016. These data and metadata are independent of the NERRS Centralized Data Management Office (CDMO) versions, and follow KBNERR 's quality control and assurance procedures in addition to SWMP protocols. Therefore, these data are a subset of data assembled by the NERRS CDMO and submitted to the National Ocean Data Center (NODC) per the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and the National Oceanographic Data Center Concerning the Transmittal of National Estuarine Research Reserve System Water Quality Monitoring Data." 

This dataset includes three data types. For each type, the data are in comma-separated values (csv) format exported from Microsoft Excel for archive. Data are stored in individual files by parameter and collection year. The data types and parameters are as follows. 1) Meteorological data (MET): parameters include air temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, barometric pressure, rainfall, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). 2) Water quality (WQ): parameters include temperature, water depth, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. 3) Nutrient (NUT): parameters include concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, and ortho-phosphate.

These data were collected at four sites using automated instruments, including Campbell Scientific weather station, YSI data sonde, and water quality grabs. Nutrient analyses of water samples were conducted by KBNERR in a laboratory. The Homer site is near the harbor on the Homer Spit located on the north side of Kachemak Bay. Monitoring at this site includes one meteorological station, two water quality locations (surface and deep water), and three nutrient monitoring locations (surface, deep, and harbor). The Seldovia site is on the ferry terminal dock located on the south side of Kachemak Bay. Monitoring at this site includes two water quality and nutrient monitoring locations (both surface and deep water). The Anchor Point site is adjacent to the ocean in the Halibut Campground and located on the westernmost point of land on the Kenai Peninsula overlooking Cook Inlet. Monitoring at this site is a meteorological station. The Bear Cove site is a seasonal mooring that is located on the southern side of the inner portion of Kachemak Bay. Monitoring at this site includes two water quality locations (both surface and deep water), which are operated annually from approximately May to October.