DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cz8w9gjgk
title: Surface temperature variability in the Delaware Bay estuary system

description: This dataset includes in situ water property data collected from 8
 along-estuary surveys in the Delaware Estuary from 2010-2011, led by
 Robert Chant (Rutgers University) and Chris Sommerfield (University of
 Delaware). The surveys spanned from the estuary mouth to about Trenton and
 consisted of CTD casts at fixed along-estuary sites. There were
 measurements of temperature, salinity, and pressure for every cruise, with
 additional measurements of nitrate, chlorophyll, optical backscatter, and
 Oxygen for some cruises. Data for each cruise has been binned to
 a uniform coordinate system, with dimensions of [depth x
 latitude/longitude position]. We've also included an example code to
 demonstrate how to plot the data.
description: # Surface temperature variability in the Delaware Bay estuary system
 Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.cz8w9gjgk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cz8w9gjgk) ##
 Description of the data and file structure **Metadata for the 2010-2011
 Along-Estuary Surveys in the Delaware Estuary** There were 8 cruises
 total, all aboard the R/V Sharp. PIs were Bob Chant and Chris Sommerfield,
 with Eli Hunter, the main technician, heavily involved in data collection
 and processing. These metadata were compiled by Jack McSweeney in 2025.
 For all cruises, we conducted a water sampling/CTD transect from Delaware
 Bay mouth to tidal freshwater just downriver of Trenton. Cast data have
 had a basic level of quality control and then were interpolated to uniform
 depth bins. ### Files and variables In all of the files, NANs represent
 locations/times without data due to either 1) removal during quality
 control (ex: in case of instrument failure) or 2) because the data is
 gridded to a uniform depth coordinate system and some sites are shallower
 (ex: a 10m site would have NANs deeper than 10 m). #### File:
 delaware_sharp_ctd_0310.mat **Description:** Research cruise conducted
 11-12 March 2010, including 22 stations where casts were taken. #####
 Variables * Ttime – matlab time (1x22) * Tlat – latitude (1 x 22) * Tlon –
 longitude (1 x 22) * bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 59) * Tsalt - salinity
 (psu; 59 x 22) * Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 59 x 22) * TN - Nitrate
 concentration ( mM;; 59 x 22) * Tobs – optical backscatter (volts; 59 x
 22) 
 
 #### File: ExamplePlot_March2010.m **Description:** Matlab script
 demonstrating how to plot the data. This
 generates ExamplePLotMarch2010.png #### File: delaware_sharp_cage_0610.mat
 **Description:** Research cruise conducted 3-4 June 2010, including 23
 stations where casts were taken. ##### Variables * Ttime – matlab time
 (1x23) * Tlat – latitude (1 x 23) * Tlon – longitude (1 x 23) * bins –
 depth bins (meters, 1 x 75) * Tsalt - salinity (psu; 75 x 23) * Ttemp –
 temperature ( °C; 75 x 23) * Tntr - Nitrate concentration ( mM; 75 x 23) *
 Tobs – optical backscatter ( volts; 75 x 23) * Tox– Oxygen concentration
 (mM; 75 x 23) * Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 75 x 23) * Tchl–
 chlorophyll (mg/L; 75 x 23) 
 
 #### File: delaware_sharp_cage_0910.mat **Description:** Research cruise
 conducted 12-13 September 2010, including 23 stations where casts were
 taken. ##### Variables * Ttime – matlab time (1x23) * Tlat – latitude (1 x
 23) * Tlon – longitude (1 x 23) * bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 75) *
 Tsalt - salinity (psu; 75 x 23) * Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 75 x 23) *
 Tobs1 – optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 75 x 23) * Tobs2 – optical
 backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 75 x 23) * Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM;
 75 x 23) * Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 75 x 23) * Tchl–
 chlorophyll (mg/L; 75 x 23) 
 
 #### File: delaware_sharp_ctd_1210.mat **Description:** Research cruise
 conducted 13-14 December 2010, including 21 stations where casts were
 taken. ##### Variables * Ttime – matlab time (1x21) * Tlat – latitude (1 x
 21) * Tlon – longitude (1 x 21) * bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 75) *
 Tsalt - salinity (psu; 75 x 21) * Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 75 x 21) *
 Tobs – optical backscatter ( volts; 75 x 21) * Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 75
 x 21) 
 
 #### File: delaware_sharp_cage_0311.mat **Description:** Research cruise
 conducted 21-22 March 2011, including 22 stations where casts were taken.
 ##### Variables * Ttime – matlab time (1x22) * Tlat – latitude (1 x 22) *
 Tlon – longitude (1 x 22) * bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 67) * Tsalt -
 salinity (psu; 67 x 22) * Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 67 x 22) * Tobs1 –
 optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 67 x 22) * Tobs2 – optical
 backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 67 x 22) * Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM;
 67 x 22) * Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 67 x 22) * Tchl–
 chlorophyll (mg/L; 67 x 22) 
 
 #### File: delaware_sharp_cage_0611.mat **Description:** Research cruise
 conducted 3-4 June 2011, including 23 stations where casts were taken.
 ##### Variables * Ttime – matlab time (1x23) * Tlat – latitude (1 x 23) *
 Tlon – longitude (1 x 23) * bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 67) * Tsalt -
 salinity (psu; 67 x 23) * Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 67 x 23) * Tobs1 –
 optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 67 x 23) * Tobs2 – optical
 backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 67 x 23) * Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 67 x
 23) 
 
 #### File: delaware_survey_0911.mat **Description:** Research cruise
 conducted 16-17 September 2011, including 23 stations where casts were
 taken. ##### Variables * Ttime – matlab time (1x23) * Tlat – latitude (1 x
 23) * Tlon – longitude (1 x 23) * bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 59) *
 Tsalt - salinity (psu; 59x 23) * Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 59x 23) *
 Tntr - Nitrate concentration ( mM; 59x 23) * Tobs1 – optical backscatter
 channel 1 ( volts; 59x 23) * Tobs2 – optical backscatter channel 2 (
 volts; 59x 23) * Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM; 59x 22) * Toxsat– Oxygen
 saturation (percentage; 59x 22) * Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 59x 23) 
 
 #### File: delaware_survey_1211.mat **Description:** Research cruise
 conducted 13-14 December 2011, including 23 stations where casts were
 taken. ##### Variables * Ttime – matlab time (1x23) * Tlat – latitude (1 x
 23) * Tlon – longitude (1 x 23) * bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 59) *
 Tsalt - salinity (psu; 59x 23) * Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 59x 23) *
 Tntr - Nitrate concentration ( mM; 59x 23) * Tobs1 – optical backscatter
 channel 1 ( volts; 59x 23) * Tobs2 – optical backscatter channel 2 (
 volts; 59x 23) * Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM; 59x 22) * Toxsat– Oxygen
 saturation (percentage; 59x 22) * Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 59x 23) ##
 Code/software Matlab is needed to run the software. Any version should
 work. The example code provided depends on the seawater toolbox for the
 sw_dist function, which is publicly available
 at [https://www.cmar.csiro.au/datacentre/ext_docs/seawater.html](https://www.cmar.csiro.au/datacentre/ext_docs/seawater.html)