Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cz8w9gjgk

Description of the data and file structure

Metadata for the 2010-2011 Along-Estuary Surveys in the Delaware Estuary

There were 8 cruises total, all aboard the R/V Sharp. PIs were Bob Chant and Chris Sommerfield, with Eli Hunter, the main technician, heavily involved in data collection and processing. These metadata were compiled by Jack McSweeney in 2025.

For all cruises, we conducted a water sampling/CTD transect from Delaware Bay mouth to tidal freshwater just downriver of Trenton. Cast data have had a basic level of quality control and then were interpolated to uniform depth bins.

Files and variables

In all of the files, NANs represent locations/times without data due to either 1) removal during quality control (ex: in case of instrument failure) or 2) because the data is gridded to a uniform depth coordinate system and some sites are shallower (ex: a 10m site would have NANs deeper than 10 m).

File: delaware_sharp_ctd_0310.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 11-12 March 2010, including 22 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x22)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 22)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 22)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 59)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 59 x 22)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 59 x 22)
• TN - Nitrate concentration ( mM;; 59 x 22)
• Tobs – optical backscatter (volts; 59 x 22)

File: ExamplePlot_March2010.m

Description: Matlab script demonstrating how to plot the data. This generates ExamplePLotMarch2010.png

File: delaware_sharp_cage_0610.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 3-4 June 2010, including 23 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x23)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 23)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 23)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 75)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 75 x 23)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 75 x 23)
• Tntr - Nitrate concentration ( mM; 75 x 23)
• Tobs – optical backscatter ( volts; 75 x 23)
• Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM; 75 x 23)
• Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 75 x 23)
• Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 75 x 23)

File: delaware_sharp_cage_0910.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 12-13 September 2010, including 23 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x23)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 23)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 23)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 75)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 75 x 23)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 75 x 23)
• Tobs1 – optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 75 x 23)
• Tobs2 – optical backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 75 x 23)
• Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM; 75 x 23)
• Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 75 x 23)
• Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 75 x 23)

File: delaware_sharp_ctd_1210.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 13-14 December 2010, including 21 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x21)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 21)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 21)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 75)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 75 x 21)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 75 x 21)
• Tobs – optical backscatter ( volts; 75 x 21)
• Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 75 x 21)

File: delaware_sharp_cage_0311.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 21-22 March 2011, including 22 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x22)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 22)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 22)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 67)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 67 x 22)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 67 x 22)
• Tobs1 – optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 67 x 22)
• Tobs2 – optical backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 67 x 22)
• Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM; 67 x 22)
• Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 67 x 22)
• Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 67 x 22)

File: delaware_sharp_cage_0611.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 3-4 June 2011, including 23 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x23)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 23)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 23)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 67)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 67 x 23)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 67 x 23)
• Tobs1 – optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 67 x 23)
• Tobs2 – optical backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 67 x 23)
• Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 67 x 23)

File: delaware_survey_0911.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 16-17 September 2011, including 23 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x23)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 23)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 23)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 59)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 59x 23)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 59x 23)
• Tntr - Nitrate concentration ( mM; 59x 23)
• Tobs1 – optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 59x 23)
• Tobs2 – optical backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 59x 23)
• Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM; 59x 22)
• Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 59x 22)
• Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 59x 23)

File: delaware_survey_1211.mat

Description: Research cruise conducted 13-14 December 2011, including 23 stations where casts were taken.

Variables

• Ttime – matlab time (1x23)
• Tlat – latitude (1 x 23)
• Tlon – longitude (1 x 23)
• bins – depth bins (meters, 1 x 59)
• Tsalt - salinity (psu; 59x 23)
• Ttemp – temperature ( °C; 59x 23)
• Tntr - Nitrate concentration ( mM; 59x 23)
• Tobs1 – optical backscatter channel 1 ( volts; 59x 23)
• Tobs2 – optical backscatter channel 2 ( volts; 59x 23)
• Tox– Oxygen concentration (mM; 59x 22)
• Toxsat– Oxygen saturation (percentage; 59x 22)
• Tchl– chlorophyll (mg/L; 59x 23)

Code/software

Matlab is needed to run the software. Any version should work. The example code provided depends on the seawater toolbox for the sw_dist function, which is publicly available at https://www.cmar.csiro.au/datacentre/ext_docs/seawater.html