MOCNESS profile, zooscan imagery, and other plankton specimen identification data collected during NRDA plankton survey Walton Smith 3 (WS3) in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2010-09-26 to 2010-10-02

This data package contains MOCNESS (Multiple Opening/Closing Net Environmental Sensing System) profile data, ZooScan image data, and other zooplankton, ichthyoplankton and decapod specimen identification data collected during Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Plankton Survey Walton Smith 3 (WS3) in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2010-09-26 to 2010-10-02 on board the R/V F.G. Walton Smith Cruise WS1017. This survey was part of a series of WS NRDA cruises conducted in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate the distribution and densities of ichthyoplankton and other zooplankton in northern Gulf of Mexico waters potentially affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS). The data package includes the original profile data representing environmental samples (e.g., temperature, salinity, pressure) for individual MOCNESS tows as well as combined and summary data (all tows) for the full cruise, ZooScan image data with the accompanying ZooScan files so that the images can be reanalyzed, sampling event data (e.g., time, latitude, longitude, depth, volume filtered) and other zooplankton, ichthyoplankton and decapod specimen identification data (e.g., taxonomic identification, length, number of individuals). Zooplankton density and specimen data were derived from the ZooScan imagery data included in this data package.