This data set reports information regarding the nominal sampling locations for the National Status and Trends Benthic Surveillance Project sites. One record is presented per site. Each record reports the five letter site acronym, site sequence number, general and specific location information, state abbreviation, state name, degree-minute-second coordinates, decimal degree coordinates, and species information, among other things. The actual site coordinate information is recorded at the time of sampling, if samples were taken at a location other than the nominal site center. The five letter acronym is based on both the general location information and more specific location information (e.g. SFSM is San Francisco-San Mateo Bridge). The file also contains sequence numbers that facilitate geographic manipulation of the data. Sites are numbered sequentially from the northern most site on the U.S. East coast (i.e. Penobscot Bay-Pickering Island) and continue counter-clockwise around the country.
In response to concerns over environmental quality of the Nation's coastal and estuarine ecosystems, NOAA created the National Status and Trends (NSandT) Program in 1984. From 1984 through 1993, the Benthic Surveillance Project monitored chemical concentrations in the livers (and for metabolites of PAH's in the bile) of bottom-dwelling fish and in sediments at the sites of fish capture. The Benthic Surveillance Project also measured the biological effects of contaminant exposure, primarily as prevalence's of toxicopathic liver diseases.
publication date
The National Status and Trends Program (NSandT) requests that all individuals who download NSandT data acknowledge the source of these data in any reports, papers, or presentations. If you publish these data, please include a statement similar to: "Some or all of the data described in this article were produced by NOAA through its National Status and Trends Program."
1305 East West Highway N/SCI1
Field sample processing is minimal while laboratory sample processing is extensive. The same kind of field/site data have been supplied since the start of the Benthic Surveillance Project, in 1984.
Using site selection criteria similar to those used for the Mussel Watch Project, the NBSP monitored contaminant exposure and bioeffects at more than 120 sites nationwide. The National Benthic Surveillance Program existed from 1984 through 1992. This was a cooperative effort between NOS and the National Marine Fisheries Service's Northwest, Southeast, and Northeast Fisheries Science Centers. The Benthic Surveillance Project Sites dataset does not include information relating to the chemistry, quality assurance, or pathology data that is associated with each site.
The same kind of field/site data have been supplied since the start of the Benthic Surveillance Project, in 1984. Original site coordinates were derived from Loran-C time conversions. When GPS was first available the signal was intentionally degraded so earlier coordinate information, even if it resulted from GPS, is not as accurate as data would be today. Early sites information resulting from Loran-C was converted from time delay information to latitudes and longitudes. These earlier data may be suspect when sites were located close to large structures that could have interfered with accurate time delays. These concerns apply specifically to the first National Status and Trends sites document, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 70, National Status and Trends Program: Monitoring Site Descriptions (1984-1990) for the National Mussel Watch and Benthic Surveillance Projects.
Benthic Surveillance Sampling Protocols.
A National Benthic Surveillance Project site bears the name of the general coastal or estuarine region sampled, and is defined by the individual stations in that area where bottom sediments are obtained. In most cases, three stations comprise a site. Trawls for bottomfish are conducted as close to the sediment stations as possible. Sediment samples are obtained by a specially constructed box core device or a standard Smith-MacIntyre bottom grab. National Benthic Surveillance Project sediment samples are analyzed for selected organic compounds, trace elements, total organic carbon, moisture content, and particle size. NOAA compiled a field sampling manual to ensure uniformity for sediment and fish sample collection.
Metadata imported.
Dataset moved.
Provides the site's specific information
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Feature geometry.
ESRI
Five letter site acronym
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
The Sequence is the arbitrary number that places the sites in geographical
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
General water body in which site is found
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
More specific water body or land feature with which the site is associated
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Standard two letter postal code for each state
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Regions are North Atlantic (N), Middle Atlantic (M), South Atlantic (S), Puerto Rico (PR), Gulf Coast (G), West Coast (W), Alaska (AK), Hawaii (HI).
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Spelled out name in with the site is located
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Latitude given in degrees, minutes, and seconds; values are not parsed
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Latitude given as decimal degree
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Longitude given as decimal degree
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Species code for the primary species collected at a site.
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The same codes apply here. This code indicates a secondary species that may be collected at the site.
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Another site identifier, Codes used by NSandT participating laboratories.
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Program, in this case Benthic Surveillance Project. The Benthic Surveillance Project is one of the three major elements of the NSandT. The other projects are the Mussel Watch Project and the Bioeffects Project.
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Target species for a given site
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NOAA chart on which the site can be found
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Water depth at which a sites benthic fish and sediments are usually collected.
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Region codes have been designated for sub-areas of the US
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Estuarine Drainage (sub.code), NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework (CAF) 5-digit Watershed Code
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
No, Estuarine Drainage (maj.name), NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework (CAF) Major Watershed Name
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
Internal feature number.
ESRI
Estuarine Drainage (maj.code), NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework (CAF) 4-digit Major Watershed Code
NS&T, Benthic Surveillance Project
1305 East West Highway N/SCI1
None
1305 East West Highway N/SCI1