Abstract:

This report contains Gulf sturgeon data and provides additional context for the posted dataset, including information about the collection, analysis, and organization of the data. Characteristics of this dataset include the following: This dataset provides information related to capturing, measuring, and tagging Gulf sturgeon migrating in rivers that drain into the northern Gulf of Mexico, tracking tagged Gulf sturgeon in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and recapturing and measuring Gulf sturgeon when they returned upstream. This dataset includes data collected cooperatively with the Trustees. Before posting, extensive work was done independently by BP contractors to verify some aspects of the posted data (e.g., positional coordinates and field data). The focus of this data posting is observational data that were collected under the work plan titled Pre-Assessment Plan for the Collection of Data to Determine Potential Exposure and Injuries of Threatened Gulf Sturgeon. Observations were made between September 27, 2010 and May 18, 2011, at eight rivers that drain into the northern Gulf of Mexico extending from the Pearl River, located along the Louisiana-Mississippi border, eastward to the Suwannee River, located in northcentral Florida. (An additional river identified in the work plan, the Ochlockonee in the panhandle of Florida, was not sampled due to the low likelihood of capturing Gulf sturgeon within the river.) The data were cooperatively collected by representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as the lead Trustee, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and BP. This dataset includes data associated with field observations including sampling date, sampling location information, water physicochemical data, fish morphometric and tagging data, and Gulf sturgeon telemetry data from the telemetry receiver stations in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Suggested Citation:

BP Gulf Science Data. 2016. Data Collection to Determine Potential Exposure and Injuries of Threatened Gulf Sturgeon in Eight River Systems from Louisiana to Florida and Coastal Gulf of Mexico Waters from September 2010 to May 2011. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N78C9TNJ

Purpose:

The objectives of this study were to document the condition of Gulf sturgeon during the fall and spring migrations, collect blood samples from Gulf sturgeon among eight major river systems, and document offshore movement and habitat use of Gulf sturgeon during the overwintering period throughout its known range. These data were collected by BP to help guide cleanup operations under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard and to support the Natural Resource Damage Assessment efforts by federal and state agencies and BP to evaluate potential injury to natural resources in the Gulf. The data and supplemental information are being made available to the public in a format that will facilitate the use of the data for research and other studies. GRIIDC is making these data available following the shutdown of the Gulf Science Data Portal. This will ensure that the data are available and searchable through GRIIDC data discovery.

Data Parameters and Units:

Actual Water Depth = The water depth, measured in feet, at the location of the telemetry receiver; Animal Number = Identification number of the captured Gulf sturgeon with which all accompanying catch data are associated (often provided as the number of sturgeon captured at the location on a given date); Blood Sample Number = Unique identification number assigned to the suite of blood samples collected from the captured Gulf sturgeon; Bottom Conductivity = Conductivity at the bottom of the water in which the sampling event was conducted, measured in milli-Siemens (mS) ; Bottom Conductivity Unit = Unit of measurement for the conductivity values at the bottom of water. (mS = milli-Siemens, uS = micro-Siemens); Bottom Dissolved Oxygen = Concentration of dissolved oxygen, measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L), at the bottom of the water in which the sampling event was conducted; Bottom pH = The measure of acidity or alkalinity of the bottom of the water where the sampling event was conducted. (logarithmic scale: 7 is neutral, values lower than 7 are more acidic, and values higher than 7 are more alkaline); Bottom Refraction = Salinity of the bottom of the water in which the sampling event was conducted, measured by refractometer in parts per thousand (ppt) ; Bottom Salinity = Salinity at the bottom of the water in which the sampling event was conducted, measured in parts per thousand (ppt); Bottom Temperature = Temperature, measured in degrees Celsius, at the bottom of the water in which the sampling event was conducted; Cardno ENTRIX Signature = Indication of whether the datasheet was signed by the BP representative during the given sampling event; signature indicates approval of the information as written on the datasheet (Yes = signature present; No = no signature present); Catch Date = The calendar date on which the listed Gulf sturgeon was captured (M/DD/YYYY); Catch Form Notes = General notes recorded by the researchers regarding the captured Gulf sturgeon and/or surrounding conditions not otherwise recorded on other portions of the datasheet; Catch Gear Type = The type of net used to fish for sturgeon during the effort (AG = Anchored Gillnet, CG = Commercial Gillnet, DG = Drift Gillnet, SG = Survey Gillnet); Catch Latitude = North/South geographic coordinates, in decimal degrees WGS84, of the location where the Gulf sturgeon was captured ; Catch Location = Name of the site, and/or river (if applicable), where sampling was conducted on the date; Catch Longitude = East/West geographic coordinates, in decimal degrees WGS84, of the location where the Gulf sturgeon was captured; Catch Master Form Notes = General notes recorded by the researchers regarding the captured Gulf sturgeon and/or surrounding conditions not otherwise recorded on other portions of the datasheet; Catch Master Record ID = Unique numerical identifier provided for each record documenting catch data associated with an individual Gulf sturgeon sampling event (e.g., date, gear type, and net deployment times); Catch Record ID = Unique numerical identification provided for each record documenting catch data during an individual Gulf sturgeon sampling event (e.g., Gulf sturgeon identification numbers, tag identification numbers, and Gulf sturgeon morphometric data); Color Left = The color of the external T-Bar tag placed (or observed if already present) in the left pectoral fin of the captured Gulf sturgeon; Color Right = The color of the external T-Bar tag placed (or observed if already present) in the right pectoral fin of the captured Gulf sturgeon; Data Publication Date = Date associated with the current data posting (M/DD/YYYY); Data Publication Reference = A general description of data provided in the data posting and a version control number; Effort Date = The year, month, and day on which the Gulf sturgeon sampling event occurred (M/DD/YYYY); Effort Form Notes = General notes recorded by the researchers regarding conditions or distinctive events during the given sampling event; Effort Gear Type = The type of net used to fish for sturgeon during the effort (AG = Anchored Gillnet, CG = Commercial Gillnet, DG = Drift Gillnet, SG = Survey Gillnet); Effort Latitude = North/south geographic coordinates of the sampling location in decimal degrees WGS84; Effort Location Name = Two-letter abbreviation for the location of the given Gulf sturgeon sampling event (AR = Apalachicola River, BR = Blackwater River, CR = Choctawhatchee River, EB = Escambia Bay, ER = Escambia Bay, MB = Mobile Bay, PE = Pearl River, PR = Pascagoula River, SR = Suwannee River, YR = Yellow River); Effort Longitude = East/west geographic coordinates of the sampling location in decimal degrees WGS84; Effort Record ID = Unique numerical identification provided for each record documenting general effort information associated with an individual Gulf sturgeon sampling event (e.g., location, date, gear type, water physicochemical data); End Time = The time, in 24-hour clock format, at which data collection was completed for the record (military time HH:MM); Existing PIT Tag Number = Unique identification number of any existing Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag present on a given captured Gulf sturgeon (NA = no existing PIT tag was found and therefore a new tag was inserted); Field Data Verification Status = Summary of the data verification process status described in Appendix B. (Not Started, Underway, Complete); Fork Length = The length, measured from the tip of the snout to the fork of the caudal fin, of the captured Gulf sturgeon; Fork Length Unit = Unit of measurement for the fork length; Gear Set Time = Time (24-hour clock format) at which a net was placed in the water to fish for sturgeon (military time HH:MM); Genetic Sample Number = Unique identification number assigned to the genetic sample (fin clip) collected from the captured Gulf sturgeon. (FC = fin clip); Hanging Ratio = Provides a measure of how tightly the gill net is deployed in the river. The value provided is the length of the net as deployed divided by the length of the net when fully stretched (e.g., a gill net with a hanging ratio of 0.72 is more taut than a gill net with a hanging ratio of 0.50); Erroneous Entry '3:1' indicates the hanging ratio entered by the field staff was outside of the possible ratio range of 0 to 1.; Height = Height of the gill net used during the given sampling event; Height Unit = Unit of measurement for the Net Mesh Size (ft = feet, m = meters); Location Type = Category of water body in which the sampling event occurred (e.g., Bay or River); Net Length = Length of gill net used during the given sampling event; Net Length Unit = Unit of measurement for the length of the gill net (ft = feet, m = meters); Net Mesh Size = Size of the mesh spacing in the gill net used during the given sampling event; Net Mesh Size Unit = Unit of measurement for the Net Mesh Size (cm = centimeters, ft = feet, in = inches); New PIT Tag Number = Unique identification number of the PIT tag injected into a given Gulf sturgeon if captured without an existing tag (NA = an existing PIT tag was present) ; NOAA or NRDA Data = Indicates whether the given data are considered part of the current Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) study or an associated, pre-existing non-NRDA NOAA study; Notes = General notes recorded by the researchers regarding conditions or distinctive events while uploading data from the telemetry receiver; Panel Depth = The depth (i.e., height), measured in feet or meters, of the gill net used during the given sampling event; Panel Depth Unit = Unit of measurement of the panel length (cm = centimeters, ft = feet, m = meters); Panel Length = The length, measured in feet or meters, of the gill net used during the given sampling event; Panel Length Unit = Unit of measurement of the panel length (ft = feet, in = inches, m = meters); Receiver = Unique identification number assigned to each telemetry receiver ; Receiver Observe Time = The calendar date and time (24-hour clock format) at which a telemetry tag was detected by the telemetry receiver (M/D/YY H:MM - military time); Researcher Signature = Indication of whether the datasheet was signed by the lead researcher during the sampling event; signature indicates approval of the information as written on the datasheet (Yes = signature present; No = no signature present); Set End Time = Time (24-hour clock format) at which a net was retrieved from the water to assess whether sturgeon were captured (military time HH:MM); Set Number = The number of times a net was placed in the water to fish for Gulf sturgeon at a sampling location.; Sex = The sex of the captured sturgeon (male, female, undetermined); Start Time = The time, in 24-hour clock format, at which data collection was initiated for the record (military time HH:MM); Station Coordinates Latitude = North/south geographic coordinates, in decimal degrees WGS84, of the telemetry receiver location ; Station Coordinates Longitude = East/west geographic coordinates, in decimal degrees WGS84, of the telemetry receiver location; Station Name = Unique name assigned to each telemetry receiver based on its proximity to rivers or geographic locations along the coast of the northern Gulf of Mexico ; Stretch Mesh = The measurement, of a single mesh when the gill net is stretched to its deployed position ; Stretch Mesh Unit = Unit of measurement of the stretch mesh (cm = centimeters, in = inches); Study Name = Abbreviated name of the study in the database. This name is part of the primary key of this table and is used within other documents provided on the Gulf Science Data website.; Study Reference Number = Study reference number (SRN) assigned by BP to provide a link between the data provided in the data file and the associated work plans and study descriptions ; Surface Conductivity = Conductivity at the surface of the water in which the sampling event was conducted, measured in milli-Siemens (mS); Surface Conductivity Unit = Unit of measurement for the conductivity values at the surface of water. (mS = milli-Siemens, uS = micro-Siemens); Surface Dissolved Oxygen = The concentration of dissolved oxygen, measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L), at the surface of the water in which the sampling event was conducted; Surface pH = The measure of acidity or alkalinity of the surface of the water where the sampling event was conducted (logarithmic scale: 7 is neutral, values lower than 7 are more acidic, and values higher than 7 are more alkaline); Surface Refraction = Salinity of the surface of the water in which the sampling event was conducted, measured by refractometer in parts per thousand (ppt) ; Surface Salinity = Salinity at the surface of the water in which the sampling event was conducted, measured in parts per thousand (ppt); Surface Temperature = Temperature, measured in degrees Celsius, at the surface of the water in which the sampling event was conducted; Survey Type = The season during which the Gulf sturgeon sampling occurred (Outmigration = fall 2010 sampling, as Gulf sturgeon migrated out of the rivers into the Gulf of Mexico prior to potential exposure to oiled habitat; Spring = spring 2011 sampling, as Gulf sturgeon returned to the rivers from the Gulf of Mexico and samplers attempted to recapture previously tagged sturgeon); T Bar Left = The identification number present on the external T-Bar tag placed (or observed if already present) in the left pectoral fin of the captured Gulf sturgeon; T Bar Right = The identification number present on the external T-Bar tag placed (or observed if already present) in the right pectoral fin of the captured Gulf sturgeon; Target Coordinates Latitude = North/south geographic coordinates, in decimal degrees WGS84, of the location at which the telemetry receiver was originally deployed (in some cases heavy seas caused the receivers to move); Target Coordinates Longitude = East/west geographic coordinates, in decimal degrees WGS84, of the location at which the telemetry receiver was originally deployed (in some cases heavy seas caused the telemetry receivers to move); Target Water Depth = The water depth, measured in feet, at the location in which the telemetry receiver was originally deployed (in some cases heavy seas caused the telemetry receivers to move); Telemetry Tag Code = Unique identification code of the ultrasonic acoustic transmitter (telemetry tag) implanted in the gastric cavity of the captured Gulf sturgeon. (NULL = No sturgeon catch or no telemetry tag indicated.); Telemetry Tag Serial Number = The serial number of the ultrasonic acoustic transmitter (telemetry tag) implanted in the gastric cavity of the captured Gulf sturgeon (Erroneous Entry = Field staff entered a non-serial number on the datasheet; Tend Or Haul = Indication of whether the record is associated with a tending (i.e., checking the net but not pulling it from the water) or hauling (i.e., removal from the water) of the deployed gill net; Tend Or Haul Number = Chronological count value associated with the record indicating the number of times the gill net was tended or hauled on the date; Total Length = The length, measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the longest lobe of the caudal fin, of the captured Gulf sturgeon; Total Length Unit = Unit of measurement for the total length.; Transmitter = Unique identification number of a telemetry tag detected by the telemetry receiver; the last five digits of the identification number aligns with the Telemetry Tag Code field ; Trustee Signature = Indication of whether the datasheet was signed by the Trustee representative during the sampling event; signature indicates approval of the information as written on the datasheet (Yes = signature present; No = no signature present); Twine Size = The diameter, measured in millimeters, of the filaments comprising the given gill net.; Twine Size Unit = Unit of measurement of the twine size (mm = millimeter); Weight = The weight of the captured Gulf sturgeon; Weight Unit = Unit of measurement for the weight of the captured Gulf sturgeon (kg = kilograms);

Individual Files: