Title
Habitat classification of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) using the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and salinity/temperature profiles, cruises DP01-DP04, May 2015 to August 2016
Document Type
Dataset
Publication Date
1-2-2018
UDI
R4.x257.000:0014
Funding Source
RFP-IV
Data Collection Period
2015-05-01 to 2016-08-18
Database
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC)
DOI
10.7266/N7QR4VK0
Abstract
Deep pelagic habitat from the entire Gulf of Mexico (GOM) was classified using the deviation of sea surface height (SSH) from mean SSH for the entire GOM and water temperature at 300 m water depth, founded on ocean condition data from the 1/25° GOM HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Pelagic habitats were segregated into anticyclonic, mixed boundaries, and common water units – all of which likely produce varying levels of forage for deep-sea fauna and may be trophic drivers. Model classifications were compared to classifications based on water column temperature and salinity at depth, as measured by CTD casts during cruises DP01-DP04 in the northern GOM (GRIIDC datasets R4.x257.230:0004, R4.x257.230:0010, R4.x257.230:0011, and R4.x257.230:0012). The classification scheme was further cross-validated by comparing the model classifications to classifications based on microbial communities found within the same water masses. This tool will be used to aid pelagic community analyses of fauna collected by DEEPEND cruises in the GOM spanning 2015-2016.
File Format(s)
csv
NSUWorks Citation
Johnston, Matt, Rosanna Milligan, Cole Easson, Sergio DeRada, Brad Penta, and Tracey Sutton. Habitat classification of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) using the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and salinity/temperature profiles, cruises DP01-DP04, May 2015 to August 2016. 2018. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. doi: 10.7266/N7QR4VK0
COinS
Purpose
To classify GOM pelagic waters and aid pelagic community analyses of fauna collected by DEEPEND cruises in the GOM spanning the years 2015-2016.