Abstract:

This report contains data related to fish and invertebrate kill events (observable acute responses to local stressors) in the northern Gulf of Mexico 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: • The dataset characterizes reported fish kill events, including the location, species and number of fish present, physical condition of the species present, water and weather conditions, and physiochemical properties of the water at the site. • 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 collected during investigation of reported fish and invertebrate kill events in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Observations were made at six locations distributed in coastal Louisiana (Fourchon Beach, Bay Robinson, Bay Bastien, Pelican Island), the federal waters south of Petit Bois Island, Mississippi, and Perdido Key, Florida between September 16, 2010, and February 16, 2011, under a work plan titled Investigative Plan for Fish and Invertebrate Kills in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. This work was conducted as part of NRDA studies agreed to and executed cooperatively by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and BP. The following types of data are included in the dataset: observation date, observation location, notes regarding the species and number of fish present and their condition, water and weather conditions, and physiochemical properties of the water at the site. Sampling intensity varied across incidents: • The Bay Bastien incident is characterized by over 400 rows of information which describe site characteristics, physiochemical characterization of the site, the fish present, and their condition. • The Fourchon Beach incident is characterized in fewer than 10 rows which include a general incident description and 4 physiochemical measures. • The remaining incident characterizations are limited to a general incident descriptions embedded in one or two rows each. In addition to the cross-incident variation noted above, sampling variations may exist across observers, methods, locations, and times.

Suggested Citation:

BP Gulf Science Data. 2016. Fish and Invertebrate Kill Events in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Observational Data from Louisiana, Florida and Federal waters near Mississippi between September 2010 and February 2011.. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7RX99HD

Purpose:

The purpose of this data set was to provide observational data on specific fish or invertebrate kill events in the northern Gulf of Mexico. 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:

Data Publication Date = Date associated with the current data posting date (M/DD/YYYY); Data Publication Reference = A general description of data provided in the data posting and a version control number.; Study Reference Number = Number assigned by BP to provide a link between the data provided in the data file and the associated work plans and study descriptions provided at gulfsciencedata.bp.com. ; Study Name = Abbreviated title of Investigative Plan for Fish and Invertebrate Kills in the Northern Gulf of Mexico; Vessel Team = Numeric identifier of the investigation team conducting field investigation of the reported fish kill event assigned by NOAA; Target Location = General geographic location of the reported fish kill event (e.g., name of bay, beach, or body of water) ; Latitude = North/south geographic coordinates of the reported fish kill event in decimal degrees WGS84; Longitude = East/west geographic coordinates of the reported fish kill event in decimal degrees WGS84; Sampling Event Date = Date on which the field investigation of the reported fish kill event occurred (MM/DD/YYYY); Daily Visit No. = Chronologic indicator of the number of visits to the location of the reported fish kill event ; Field Notes = General comments regarding conditions observed or reported at the site of the reported fish kill event; Arrival Time = Time at which the responding investigation team arrived at the location of the reported fish kill event (24-hr clock format - HH:MM); Departure Time = Time at which the responding investigation team departed from the location of the reported fish kill event (24-hr clock format - HH:MM); Weather Notes = General weather conditions during the investigation of the reported fish kill event; Cloudiness Notes = Cloud cover during the investigation of the reported fish kill event (Clear; Null); Air Temp = Air temperature, measured in degrees Celsius, during the investigation of the reported fish kill event; Air Temp Unit Code = Temperature scale used in recording the air temperature during the investigation of the reported fish kill event (C = Celsius); Wind Heading Code = Wind direction during the investigation of the reported fish kill event (NE = northeast; Null); Wind Speed Min = Minimum wind speed, measured in knots, recorded during the investigation of the reported fish kill event; Wind Speed Max = Maximum wind speed, measured in knots, recorded during the investigation of the reported fish kill event; Wind Speed Unit Code = Scale used to measure wind speed during the investigation of the reported fish kill event (kts = knots); Measurement Code = Parameter measured when collecting water physiochemical data at the location of the reported fish kill event (DO = dissolved oxygen, Temp = water temperature, Cond = conductivity, salinity, water depth) ; Depth Category Description = Indication of whether the water physiochemical sample collected at the location of the reported fish kill event was collected at the surface (top) or bottom of the water column.; Measured Value = The value, measured in its respective measurement unit, of the water physiochemical sample parameter collected at the location of the reported fish kill event; Measurement Units = The scale of the measurement collected for the given water physiochemical parameter collected at the location of the reported fish kill event (% = percent, PPT = parts per thousand, C = Celsius, m = meter, mg/L = milligrams per liter, S/m = siemens per meter); Gear Type Code = Gear type used to collect water physiochemical data at the location of the reported fish kill event (YSI = multiparameter sonde; Null); Measurement Time = Time at which water physiochemical data collection occurred at the location of the reported fish kill event (24-hr clock forma - H:MMt). ; Measurement Comments = Notes recorded by individual collecting water physiochemical data at the location of the reported fish kill event ; Report Number = Identifier number provided for each Natural Resource Damage Assessment Notification of Fish Kill or Abnormality report; Abnormal Water = Was abnormal water observed at site of the reported fish kill event (Yes; No; Null); Abnormal Water Char = Description of abnormal water observed during the investigation of the reported fish kill event; Still Dying = Were there fish dying at the site of the reported fish kill event (Yes; No; Null); Location Notes = Additional information related to the location of the reported fish kill event provided by the investigation team ; Location State = State in which the reported fish kill event occurred; Location Water Body = Specific body of water in which the reported fish kill event occurred; Class ID = Entry option provided on the NRDA Fish Kill Form B: Fish Kill Field Form. Options are Stage 2 or Stage 3. All fields currently contain NULL entries as none of the Fish Kill reports contained information.; Fishkill Comments = General comments recorded by the investigation team on the conditions observed with regard to the location surroundings, descriptions of the water, and the presence of dead or dying fish ; Dead Fish Condition = Description of the condition of any dead fish present at the location of the reported fish kill event; Parish = Parish in which the reported fish kill event was located (if in Louisiana); Data Source = Agency/company identification of the investigators collecting data as part of the investigation team ; Surroundings = Description of the area surrounding the location of the reported fish kill event (agriculture, beach, marsh, salt marsh, open water); Distressed Fish Symptoms = Description of the symptoms of any live fish observed at the location of the reported fish kill event; Sampling Methods = The sampling design used by the investigation team to collect data pertaining to the reported fish kill event; Water Sampled = Were water chemistry samples collected during the investigation of the reported fish kill event (Yes; Null); Tissue Sampled = Were tissue chemistry samples collected during the investigation of the reported fish kill event (Yes; Null); Report Origin = Indication of whether the initial report of the fish kill event was supplied by a member of the general public or a Trustee official; Time Reported = Time at which the initial report of the fish kill event was recorded by the investigation coordinator (24-hr clock format - HH:MM); Date Observed = Date on which the reporting party initially observed the fish kill event (M/D/YYYY); Est Date Fish kill = Estimation of the date on which the reported fish kill event occurred (M/D/YYYY); Reported Species Numbers = Species and numbers of fish reported to be dead or dying as part of the reported fish kill event ; Reported Causes = Description provided by the investigation team of the potential cause of the reported fish kill event (low dissolved oxygen [DO]; other; Null) ; Reported Fish Condition = Description of any fish observed at the reported fish kill event (all dead; other; Null); NRDA Contacted = Was the Federal Fish Kill Coordinator contacted (Yes; Null); State Coordinator Contacted = Was the respective State Fish Kill Coordinator contacted (Yes; No; Null); Others Contacted Affiliation = Notation of other agencies or individuals contacted regarding the reported fish kill event. ; Reason Others Contacted = Comments regarding the rationale for contacting other agencies or individuals regarding the reported fish kill event; Make Field Investigation = Was a field investigation of the reported fish kill event initiated (Yes; No; Null); No Further Action Reason = Rationale for why no investigation of the reported fish kill event would be initiated if that choice was made; Taxon Code = Scientific name of species observed as part the reported fish kill event; Fish Count = Number of fish observed as part of the reported fish kill event; Present Absent Only = Were dead or dying fish observed as part of the reported fish kill event (Yes [1]; Null); Name From Form = Common names of fishes observed as part of the reported fish kill event ; Field Data Verification Status = Summary of the data verification process status described in Appendix B. Valid entries - Not started, Underway, and Complete;

Individual Files: