Nutrient and physical profile data from four Microbial Exchanges and Coupling in Coastal Atlantic Systems (MECCAS) cruises collected aboard the R/V Gyre at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and northern Atlantic Ocean from February 17, 1985 to September 7, 1986 (NCEI Accession 8800324)

Microbial Exchanges and Coupling in Coastal Atlantic Systems (MECCAS) cruise data collected aboard the R/V Gyre at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and northern Atlantic Ocean. Each of four MECCAS cruise data sets is divided into 3 files. File 1 contains underway surface mapping data. For this study 12 parameters were measured, including location, temperature, salinity, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and silicate at +/- 0.03-0.1 um. File 2 contains vertical profiles at stations along mapping routes; the 12 parameters measured were the same as those for surface mapping data as described above. File 3 contains vertical profiles at drogue stations; 96 parameters were measured. Parameters include CTD data, zooplankton data (biomass, heterotrophic and autotrophic grazing rates, and production rate estimates), bacteria data (cell count, estimated volume, nutrient assimilation, and production rate estimates), and nanoplankton data (abundance of pigmented and non-pigmented eukaryotes and estimates of bacterial removal rates). Nutrient data contained in file 3 includes dissolved free amino acids (carbon content in free serine, glycine, and alanine in nanograms/liter.