Abstract:

This dataset contains the inventory of Gulf oceanic fauna data including species, weight, and measurements obtained aboard the R/V Point Sur, DP11 (PSXXX cruise DOI XXX), in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2026-04-21 to 2026-05-03. The gear type used was a 10-m2 Multiple Opening Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS). The MOCNESS was fitted with 6 nets which were opened according to the following depth scheme: net 0 from the surface to 1500m, net 1 from 1500-1200m, net 2 from 1200-1000m, net 3 from 1000-600m, net 4 from 600-200m, and net 5 from 200m to the surface. Two trawls were conducted at each station sampled to capture diel vertical migration information; one during daylight hours between 9am-2:30pm CDT, and the other at 9pm-2:30am CDT. A table of the taxonomic hierarchy used in the nekton database is included with references to those scientific names recently updated which are not yet reflected by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). The MOCNESS sensor data and CTD data collected during cruise DP11 are available in GRIIDC datasets: This dataset is a result of research funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's RESTORE Science Program (ROR - https://ror.org/0042xzm63) under award #NA24NOSX451C0002 to Nova Southeastern University.