Abstract:

Field biologists conducted environmental sampling concurrent with efforts to capture and release common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for health assessments. Environmental samples include water quality measurements in Sarasota, Florida, the waters around Dauphin Island, Alabama, and Barataria Bay, Louisiana from 2018-06-11 to 2018-09-28. The dataset includes the number of dolphin sightings as well as measurements of water temperature, salinity, and depth for specific locations at specific times.

Suggested Citation:

Rowles, T.K., Wells, R.S., Balmer, B.C., and L.H. Schwacke. 2019. Environmental data sampled during dolphin health assessments in the Gulf of Mexico from 2018-06-11 to 2018-09-28. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-ep1s-a359

Purpose:

To provide environmental water quality measurements concurrent with Consortium for Advanced Research on Marine Mammal Health Assessment (CARMMHA) capture/release efforts.

Data Parameters and Units:

Field.effort = General location of CARMMHA field effort; Date = Date in mm/dd/yyyy; Set.number = Identification number for which field capture set (each time the net is deployed) the environmental data were associated with; Survey Identification = number for which field capture survey day the environmental data were associated with; Sighting = Identification number for which field sighting (of specific dolphins) the environmental data were associated with; Time = Time in hh:mm; Capture.location = A brief written description of the capture location; Latitude = Latitude in decimal degrees; Longitude = Longitude in decimal degrees.

Instruments:

A Yellow Springs Instrument (YSI) handheld probe was used to make measurements of temperature and salinity. Depth was estimated with a boat depth finder.

Individual Files: