Sediment accumulation rates and constituents in Culebra, Puerto Rico from sediment trap monitoring surveys conducted from 2022-08-30 to 2024-02-06

Description

This record provides sediment trap monitoring data collected periodically between 30 August 2023 and 6 February 2024 at 13 nearshore monitoring stations on the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico, as part of Culebra's Ridge-to-Reef Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to assess the effectiveness of the NOAA strategies and actions in priority watersheds to reduce land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) impacts to the nearshore marine ecosystems of the island. Monitoring stations were co-located with nearshore water quality monitoring sties and long-term seagrass monitoring transects. Monitoring stations were selected to identify watershed discharge points, coastal hydrodynamics, as well as the existing level of LBSP exposure and anticipated changes to LBSP exposure due to management actions. Nearshore monitoring stations were designated based on their land based sources of pollution management implementation status (LBSP Treatment Group), as follows: 1) LBSP Restoration stations: Located downstream where land-based pollutant management has or is being implemented. 2) LBSP Control stations: Represent a range of land-based pollutant impairments, including sites with no LBSP management, no known direct discharge of LBSP but are representative of the range of external factors that may be encountered at the LBSP Restoration stations. 3) Negative Reference stations of know significant -anecdotal and quantified- LBSP impairment. 4) Positive Reference stations of low LBSP impairment. Two replicate sediment traps were deployed at each monitoring station. Traps were constructed and installed following Storlazzi et al. (2011) with an added honeycomb baffle at the top to reduce turbulence in the trap and prevent sample disturbance by aquatic organisms. Traps were retrieved and redeployed periodically (30-Aug-22 to 6-Feb-23; 6-Feb-23 to 1-May-23; 1-May-23 to 07-Aug-23; 07-Aug-23 to 6-Nov-23; 6-Nov-23 to 6-Feb-24). In the lab, the accumulated sediment from one trap was dried and weighed to estimate accumulation rates (mg/cm2/day). The contents of the second trap were separated into coarse (<2 mm-63 um) and fine (<63 um) fractions, dried and weighed to the estimate accumulation rate, followed by a sequential loss on ignition procedure (following Edmunds & Gray 2014, Heiri et al. 2001) to assess the terrigenous, carbonate, and organic composition. Laboratory analyses were conducted at University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras. Please review the Culebra Sediment Trap Monitoring Work Plan (Vargas-Angel 2024) for a complete methodological description. The data presented herein was collected with financial support from NOAA Restoration Center and NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The research questions, survey design and monitoring localities were specific to this study and the associated water quality data is unsuitable in a regulatory framework. References: Edmunds, Peter & Gray, Sarah. (2014). The effects of storms, heavy rain, and sedimentation on the shallow coral reefs of St. John, US Virgin Islands. Hydrobiologia. 734, 143-158. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-014-1876-7 Heiri, O., Lotter, A. F., & Lemcke, G. (2001) Loss on ignition as a method for estimating organic and carbonate content in sediments: Reproducibility and comparability of results Journal of Paleolimnology, 25, 101-110. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008119611481 Storlazzi, C. D., Field, M. E., & Bothner, M. H. (2011). The use (and misuse) of sediment traps in coral reef environments: Theory, observations, and suggested protocols. Coral Reefs, 30(1), 23-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0705-3 Vargas-Angel B (2024D) Culebra Sediment Trap Monitoring Work Plan: Developing a nearshore sediment trap monitoring program to evaluate changes in LBSP exposure in Culebra, Puerto Rico. Available at: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/coris/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024d_Sediment_Trap_Monitoring_WorkPlan.pdf

Resources

Name Format Description Link
0 Culebra sediment trap constituents data dictionary https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 Culebra sediment accumulation rates data dictionary https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 Culebra sediment constituents data https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 Culebra sediment accumulation rates data https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/76234
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/76234.pdf
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2024. GCMD Keywords, Version 19. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords
0 Culebra sediment constituents data https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 Culebra sediment accumulation rates data https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 Culebra sediment accumulation rates data dictionary https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 Culebra sediment trap constituents data dictionary https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0306180
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/76234
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/76234.pdf

Tags

  • office of coastal management
  • ensenada honda
  • national ocean service
  • ecosystems
  • biosphere
  • puerto manglar
  • oceans
  • analytical balance
  • marine sediments
  • noaa restoration center
  • continent
  • noaa
  • caribbean sea
  • data collections
  • culebra island
  • marine ecosystems
  • water quality
  • caribbeanregion
  • north america
  • land-based sources of pollution
  • doc/noaa/nos/ocm
  • coastal
  • atlantic ocean
  • u.s. department of commerce
  • earth science
  • estuary
  • furnace
  • ocean
  • small boat
  • decadal
  • central america
  • marine environment monitoring
  • data analysis
  • sediment composition
  • nearshore
  • noaa coral reef conservation program
  • drying oven
  • coastal processes
  • puerto rico
  • north atlantic ocean
  • estuaries
  • sedimentation
  • terrigenous sediments
  • sav/sea grass bed
  • 10 meters - < 30 meters
  • zodiacs

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