I. Data Set Descriptors A. Title: Daniela Di Iorio. 2017. Continuous salinity, temperature and depth measurements from moored hydrographic data loggers deployed at GCE6_Hydro (Doboy Sound south of Sapelo Island, Georgia) from 01-Jan-2016 through 31-Dec-2016. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Data Catalog (data set PHY-GCEM-1706d; http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/data/PHY-GCEM-1706d) B. Accession Number: PHY-GCEM-1706d C. Description 1. Originator(s): Name: Daniela Di Iorio Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: daniela@uga.edu 2. Abstract: Conductivity, temperature and pressure were measured continuously at Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER sampling location GCE6_Hydro (Doboy Sound south of Sapelo Island, Georgia) from 01-Jan-2016 through 31-Dec-2016. Observations were logged at 30 minute intervals by moored Sea-Bird Electronics MicroCAT 37-SM data loggers and downloaded approximately semi-monthly. Salinity, depth and sigma-t (density anomaly) were calculated from the measured parameters using standard UNESCO algorithms. This data set was collected as part of the GCE-LTER Project continuous salinity, temperature and water level monitoring program. 3. Study Type: Monitoring 4. Study Themes: Physical Oceanography 5. LTER Core Areas: Inorganic Matter 6. Georeferences: geographic coordinates as data columns 7. Submission Date: Jun 22, 2017 D. Keywords: conductivity, daily, density, depth, GCE, GCE6, Georgia, Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, Hydrographic Moorings, hydrography, Inorganic Matter, inorganic nutrients, LTER, monitoring, mooring, pressure, salinity, Sapelo Island, sonde, temperature, USA, water column, water quality II. Research Origin Descriptors A. Overall Project Description 1. Project Title: Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project III 2. Principal Investigators: Name: Merryl Alber Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: malber@uga.edu 3. Funding Period: Nov 01, 2012 to Nov 01, 2018 4. Objectives: The research proposed for GCE-III is designed to address how variations in salinity and inundation, driven by climate change and anthropogenic factors, affect biotic and ecosystem responses at different spatial and temporal scales, and to predict the consequences of these changes for habitat provisioning and carbon (C) sequestration across the coastal landscape. 5. Abstract: The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (GCE) LTER is located along three adjacent sounds on the Atlantic coast and includes both intertidal marshes and estuaries. Long-term drivers of climate change, sea level rise and human alterations of the landscape will cause transitions in dominant habitat types (state changes) within the GCE domain by changing the amounts and patterns of water delivery across the landscape. These changes in water delivery can be conceptualized as presses and pulses in river inflow, local runoff, groundwater input, and tidal inundation, which will in turn manifest themselves as changes in salinity and inundation patterns in the domain. The research proposed for GCE-III is designed to address how variations in salinity and inundation, driven by climate change and anthropogenic factors, affect biotic and ecosystem responses at different spatial and temporal scales, and to predict the consequences of these changes for habitat provisioning and carbon (C) sequestration across the coastal landscape. The goals are to: 1) Track long-term changes in climate and human actions in the watershed and adjacent uplands, and evaluate the effects of these drivers on domain boundary conditions. 2) Describe temporal and spatial variability in physical, chemical, geological and biological, and to evaluate how they are affected by variations in river inflow and other boundary conditions. 3) Characterize the responses of three dominant habitats in the domain to pulses and presses in salinity and inundation. 4) Describe patterns of habitat provisioning and C sequestration and export in the GCE domain, and to evaluate how these might be affected by changes in salinity and inundation. These efforts will be synthesized into a synoptic understanding of both biotic and ecosystem responses to variations in salinity and inundation driven by climate change and human activities, which will be used to assess thresholds between habitats and the potential for state changes in the domain. 6. Funding Source: NSF OCE 1237140 B. Sub-project Description 1. Site Description a. Geographic Location: GCE-DB -- Doboy Sound, Georgia, USA GCE6_Hydro2 -- Doboy Sound hydrographic datalogger deployment south of Sapelo Island (new piling July 2012) Coordinates: GCE-DB -- NW: 081 22 05.66 W, 31 27 20.39 N NE: 081 14 34.64 W, 31 27 20.39 N SE: 081 14 34.64 W, 31 20 27.39 N SW: 081 22 05.66 W, 31 20 27.39 N GCE6_Hydro2 -- 81 18 17.7 W, 31 23 36.5 N b. Physiographic Region: GCE-DB -- Estuary and tidal marsh GCE6_Hydro2 -- Estuary and tidal marsh c. Landform Components: GCE-DB -- Intertidal marsh bordering sounds, tidal channels and creeks GCE6_Hydro2 -- Intertidal marsh bordering sounds, tidal channels and creeks d. Hydrographic Characteristics: GCE-DB -- Site encompasses Doboy Sound and nearby tidal channels and creeks, and is subject to 2-3.4m semi-diurnal tides. GCE6_Hydro2 -- Site encompasses Doboy Sound and nearby tidal channels and creeks, and is subject to 2-3.4m semi-diurnal tides. e. Topographic Attributes: GCE-DB -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3.4m above mean low tide GCE6_Hydro2 -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3.4m above mean low tide f. Geology, Lithology and Soils: GCE-DB -- unspecified GCE6_Hydro2 -- unspecified g. Vegetation Communities: GCE-DB -- unspecified GCE6_Hydro2 -- unspecified h. History of Land Use and Disturbance: none recorded i. Climate: Climate summary for Sapelo Island, Georgia, based on NWS data from 1980-2010: Daily-aggregated Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) mean air temperature: 20.09°C (7.28°C) minimum air temperature: 15.02°C (7.96°C) maximum air temperature: 24.82°C (6.98°C) total precipitation: 3.26mm (10.3mm) Yearly-aggregated Daily Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) total precipitation (1980-2010): 1124mm (266mm) 2. Experimental or Sampling Design a. Design Characteristics: Conductivity, temperature and pressure were continuously monitored using an autonomous data-logging sensor package (sonde) that was moored to a piling and submerged 1-1.5m below mean low water. b. Permanent Plots: none c. Data Collection Duration and Frequency: The MicroCAT was programmed to autonomously measure and log conductivity, temperature and pressure at a sampling rate of 30 minutes (based on its internal chronometer). Upon retrieval the data was downloaded from the instrument via RS-232 serial communications and processed using custom Matlab(r) procedures to calculate depth (i.e. from pressure and latitude), salinity and sigma-t (i.e. from conductivity and temperature), and date and time components from sample time stamps. Beginning of Observations: Jan 01, 2016 End of Observations: Dec 31, 2016 3. Research Methods a. Field and Laboratory Methods: Method 1: Deployment -- The MicroCAT was mounted inside a protective PVC pipe enclosure and attached to a wooden piling (~12 inch diameter) that was driven firmly into the substrate. The enclosure was constructed from a 10-foot length of 6-inch (internal diameter) PVC pipe that was perforated all over by drilling 1.5-inch holes (at approximately 4-inch spacing); this permits proper water circulation within the enclosure. The bottom of the PVC pipe was submerged about 5 feet below the water surface at low tide and bolted (vertically) to the piling. The MicroCAT was deployed by lowering it into the enclosure on a 0.375-inch stainless steel cable, and bolting the cable to the piling, so that the bottom of the data logger was ~3 inches above the bottom of the PVC pipe. A weighted surveyor's tape was then used to measure the distance from the substrate to the pressure sensor on the MicroCAT for calculation of total water column depth from pressure readings. The mooring was inspected every 1-3 weeks, and any visible fouling of the enclosure or MicroCAT was removed with a brush or scaper. Method 2: Retrieval and Calibration -- At the end of each measurement period (approximately 2 months), the MicroCAT was unshackled from the cable and returned to the laboratory. The stored data was uploaded to a computer using a RS-232 serial cable and Sea-Bird Electronics SEATERM software. The MicroCAT was then cleaned to remove encrusting material and calibrated with a reference instrument at 4 to 5 salinity levels, generally ranging from 30 to 5 PSU. Method 3: Data Processing -- Data were processed after each retrieval using custom programs in the GCE Data Toolbox for MATLAB (parse_37sm and imp_gcesonde). Depth was calculated from recorded pressure and latitude values, and salinity and sigma-t were calculated from recorded conductivity and temperature values using standard UNESCO algorithms (reference: Unesco. 1983. Algorithms for computation of fundamental properties of seawater, 1983. Unesco Technical Papers in Marine Science No. 44, 53 pp.). Data were then plotted and visually inspected for evidence of biofouling of the conductivity sensor (i.e. prolonged periods of damped tidal oscillation in conductivity signal with no corresponding changes in temperature signal and no wind or rainfall events recorded at nearby monitoring stations, or periods of damped oscillation immediately followed by normal oscillation after instrument maintenance or replacement). Conductivity values recorded during periods of suspected biofouling were flagged as I (invalid) if visible fouling was noted in maintenance logs, and Q (questionable) if no visible fouling was noted. Method 4: Daily Aggregation -- The finalized 30-minute resolution data set was filtered to remove any remaining invalid values (i.e. assigned qualifier flags of 'I' = invalid value or 'X' = excise row), then padded with empty rows to produce a monotonic time series data set with even time steps. The data records were then aggregated (grouped) by Year, Month, Day, Site, Longitude and Latitude, and relevant summary statistics were calculated for each measured variable in each group and added as data columns. Quality control rules were defined for each calculated column to flag statistics based on days with more than 35% missing values as invalid, and more than 10% missing values or 35% flagged values as questionable. Columns listing the number and percentage of missing and flagged values in the original data set for each day were also added as data columns for reference by quality control rules. Following aggregation, summary statistics flagged as invalid were removed from the daily-aggregated data set and converted to missing (NaN). b. Protocols: Method 1: none Method 2: none Method 3: none Method 4: none c. Instrumentation: Method 1: SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 2539, with pump) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Apr 19, 2011 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Prior to each timed measurement the conductivity cell is opened and water is pumped for 0.5 sec, then conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). The cell is closed between measurements and tributyl tin antifoulant is released into the tubing. Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 1794) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Mar 28, 2012 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Water passively circulates through an open internal-field conductivity cell equipped with an external tributyl tin antifoulant dispenser, and conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 3746) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Nov 29, 2012 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Prior to each timed measurement the conductivity cell is opened and water is pumped for 0.5 sec, then conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). The cell is closed between measurements and tributyl tin antifoulant is released into the tubing. Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 9960) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Aug 13, 2012 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Water passively circulates through an open internal-field conductivity cell equipped with an external tributyl tin antifoulant dispenser, and conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). Method 2: none Method 3: none Method 4: none d. Taxonomy and Systematics: Method 1: not applicable Method 2: Method 3: Method 4: e. Speclies List: f. Permit History: Method 1: none Method 2: none Method 3: none Method 4: none 4. Project Personnel a. Personnel: 1: Daniela Di Iorio 2: Jacob Shalack 3: Wade M. Sheldon, Jr. 4: Adam Sapp 5: Caroline M. Reddy 6: Timothy G. Montgomery b. Affiliations: 1: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 2: University of Georgia Marine Institute, Sapelo Island, Georgia 3: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 4: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 5: University of Georgia, Sapelo Island, Georgia 6: University of Georgia, Sapelo Island, Georgia III. Data Set Status and Accessibility A. Status 1. Latest Update: 28-Feb-2018 2. Latest Archive Date: 28-Feb-2018 3. Latest Metadata Update: 28-Feb-2018 4. Data Verification Status: New submission B. Accessibility 1. Storage Location and Medium: Stored at GCE-LTER Data Management Office Dept. of Marine Sciences Univ. of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-3636 USA on media: electronic data download (WWW) or compact disk 2. Contact Person: Name: Wade M. Sheldon, Jr. Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: sheldon@uga.edu 3. Copyright Restrictions: not copyrighted 4. Restrictions: This information is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The consumer of these data ("Data User" herein) has an ethical obligation to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or co-authorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data. a. Release Date: Affiliates: Jun 22, 2017, Public: Dec 31, 2017 b. Citation: Data provided by the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Project, supported by funds from NSF OCE 1237140 (data set PHY-GCEM-1706d) c. Disclaimer: The user assumes all responsibility for errors in judgement based on interpretation of data and analyses presented in this data set. 5. Costs: free electronic data download via WWW, distribution on CD may be subject to nominal processing and handling fee IV. Data Structural Descriptors A. Data Set File 1. File Name: PHY-GCEM-1706d_1_0.CSV 2. Size: 17568 records 3. File Format: ASCII text (comma-separated value format) 3a. Delimiters: single comma 4. Header Information: 5 lines of ASCII text 5. Alphanumeric Attributes: none 6. Quality Control Flag Codes: Q = questionable value, I = invalid value (out of range), S = spike/noise, X = excise row flag, E = data value estimated by interpolation 7. Authentication Procedures: not specified 8. Calculations: Depth(m) = sw_dpth(Pressure(dbar),Latitude(deg)) -- sw_dpth (salt water depth from pressure) Matlab function, Revision: 1.3, Date: 10-Oct-1994 (C)1992 CSIRO, Phil Morgan (morgan@ml.csiro.au) [Salinity(psu),Sigma_t] = salsig2(Depth(m),Temperature(C),Conductivity(mmho/cm)) -- salsig2 (salinity and sigma-t from conductivity, temperature and depth) Matlab function Revision 06-May-1992 by V. Holliday, as modified by Tom Gross and Julie Amft (julie@skio.peachnet.edu) 9. Processing History: Software version: GCE Data Toolbox Version 3.9.7b (17-Jul-2017) Data structure version: GCE Data Structure 1.1 (29-Mar-2001) Original data files processed: 06161394.asc (5080 records) 06160860.cnv (7622 records) 06161246.asc (5998 records) 06170339.cnv (3788 records) Data processing history: 24-Mar-2016: data uploaded from SBE 37-SM MicroCAT using SEATERM software version 1.59 26-Jul-2016: new GCE Data Structure 1.1 created ('newstruct') 26-Jul-2016: data imported from processed SBE SM-37 sonde data file '06161394.asc' (5080 records) ('imp_gcesonde') 26-Jul-2016: deleted column Second from the structure ('deletecols') 26-Jul-2016: calculated calendar date in MATLAB serial day (base 1/1/0000) format from individual date component columns Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute, added 'Date' column at position 1 ('add_datecol') 26-Jul-2016: added column 'Instrument' at position 1 ('addcol') 26-Jul-2016: added column 'Pump' at position 2 ('addcol') 26-Jul-2016: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Pump, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 26-Jul-2016: added column 'Latitude' at position 1 ('addcol') 26-Jul-2016: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Latitude, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 26-Jul-2016: added column 'Longitude' at position 1 ('addcol') 26-Jul-2016: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Longitude, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 26-Jul-2016: added column 'Site' at position 1 ('addcol') 26-Jul-2016: matched 5080 out of 5080 geographic coordinates in columns Latitude and Longitude to coordinates for registered locations in the file 'geo_locations.mat' within a distance tolerance of 0.5km (add_locations) 26-Jul-2016: added column 'Station' at position 2 ('addcol') 26-Jul-2016: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Station, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 26-Jul-2016: added geographic metadata based on matching values in column Station to location and station names registered in 'geo_locations.mat' ('add_sitemetadata') 26-Jul-2016: updated 8 metadata fields in the Site sections ('addmeta') 26-Jul-2016: added column 'Calibration' at position 19 ('addcol') 26-Jul-2016: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Calibration, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 26-Jul-2016: updated 13 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 26-Jul-2016: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 26-Jul-2016: QA/QC flags assigned by visual inspection (ui_visualqc); flags set on Depth record(s): 1, 5044, 5045, 5046, 5047, 5048, 5049, 5050, 5051, 5052, 5053, 5054, 5055, 5056, 5057, 5058, 5059, 5060, 5061, 5062, 5063, 5064, 5065, 5066, 5067, 5068, 5069, 5070, 5071, 5072, 5073, 5074, 5075, 5076, 5077, 5078, 5079 and 5080 26-Jul-2016: deleted the following rows with values in column(s) Depth assigned QA/QC flag(s) X (excise row flag): 1, 5044, 5045, 5046, 5047, 5048, 5049, 5050, 5051, 5052, 5053, 5054, 5055, 5056, 5057, 5058, 5059, 5060, 5061, 5062, 5063, 5064, 5065, 5066, 5067, 5068, 5069, 5070, 5071, 5072, 5073, 5074, 5075, 5076, 5077, 5078, 5079 and 5080. ('cullflags') 27-Jan-2018: 7146 rows added at the bottom of the data set ('datamerge') 27-Jan-2018: updated 13 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 27-Jan-2018: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 27-Jan-2018: automatically assigned study date metadata descriptors based on the range of date values in date/time columns (add_studydates) 27-Jan-2018: 5995 rows added at the bottom of the data set ('datamerge') 27-Jan-2018: updated 13 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 27-Jan-2018: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 27-Jan-2018: query 'Year==2016' run, returned 17120 of 18183 data rows ('querydata') 27-Jan-2018: automatically assigned study date metadata descriptors based on the range of date values in date/time columns (add_studydates) 27-Jan-2018: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 27-Jan-2018: edited data set title in structure and metadata ('ui_editor') 27-Jan-2018: 3744 rows added at the bottom of the data set ('datamerge') 27-Jan-2018: updated 13 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 27-Jan-2018: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 27-Jan-2018: query 'Year==2016' run, returned 17568 of 20864 data rows ('querydata') 27-Jan-2018: automatically assigned study date metadata descriptors based on the range of date values in date/time columns (add_studydates) 27-Jan-2018: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 27-Jan-2018: edited data set title in structure and metadata ('ui_editor') 28-Feb-2018: deleted column Calibration from data structure ('ui_editor') 28-Feb-2018: updated 1 metadata fields in the Dataset sections ('addmeta') 28-Feb-2018: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 28-Feb-2018: updated 57 metadata fields in the Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 28-Feb-2018: converted dates in column(s) Date to format yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS 28-Feb-2018: flags for columns Temperature, Conductivity, Pressure, Depth, Salinity and Sigma_t converted to data columns, flag codes updated in metadata ('flags2cols') 28-Feb-2018: updated 6 metadata fields in the Data sections ('addmeta') 28-Feb-2018: updated 15 metadata fields in the Status, Data sections to reflect attribute metadata ('updatecols') 28-Feb-2018: parsed and formatted metadata ('listmeta') B. Variable Information 1. Variable Name: column 1. Site column 2. Station column 3. Longitude column 4. Latitude column 5. Instrument column 6. Pump column 7. Date column 8. Year column 9. Month column 10. Day column 11. Hour column 12. Minute column 13. Temperature column 14. Flag_Temperature column 15. Conductivity column 16. Flag_Conductivity column 17. Pressure column 18. Flag_Pressure column 19. Depth column 20. Flag_Depth column 21. Salinity column 22. Flag_Salinity column 23. Sigma_t column 24. Flag_Sigma_t 2. Variable Definition: column 1. Nearest nominal GCE-LTER sampling site column 2. Station determined by geographic database lookup of coordinates in columns Latitude and Longitude using a distance tolerance of 0.5km from registered station location column 3. Geographic longitude in decimal degrees column 4. Geographic latitude in decimal degrees column 5. Serial number of the SBE 37-SM MicroCAT instrument used for the observations column 6. Boolean value indicating whether conductivity was measured using a pumped cell (1=true/0=false) column 7. Fractional MATLAB serial day (based on 1 = January 1, 0000) column 8. Calendar year column 9. Calendar month column 10. Calendar day column 11. Hours (GMT) column 12. Minutes column 13. Water temperature column 14. QA/QC flags for Water temperature (flagging criteria, where "x" is Temperature: x<0="Q", x>35="Q", Depth<=0="I", Depth<0.15="Q", flag_valuechange(x,2,2,1,3)="Q", manual) column 15. Conductivity column 16. QA/QC flags for Conductivity (flagging criteria, where "x" is Conductivity: x<0="I", Depth<=0="I", Depth<0.15="Q", flag_valuechange(x,0.75,0.75,1,3)="Q", manual) column 17. Water pressure at sensor (approximately equivalent to water depth within 3% error) column 18. QA/QC flags for Water pressure at sensor (approximately equivalent to water depth within 3% error) (flagging criteria, where "x" is Pressure: x<0="I", x<0.05="X", x>10="Q", manual) column 19. Water depth to the pressure sensor of the moored sonde column 20. QA/QC flags for Water depth to the pressure sensor of the moored sonde (flagging criteria, where "x" is Depth: x<0="I", x<0.05="X", x>10="Q", manual) column 21. Salinity column 22. QA/QC flags for Salinity (flagging criteria, where "x" is Salinity: x<0="I", Depth<=0="I", x>38="Q", Depth<0.15="Q", flag_valuechange(x,6,6,1,3)="Q", manual) column 23. Sigma-t (i.e. Density-1) column 24. QA/QC flags for Sigma-t (i.e. Density-1) (flagging criteria, where "x" is Sigma_t: Depth<=0="I", Depth<0.15="Q", flag_valuechange(x,5,5,1,3)="Q", x<-5="Q", x>28="Q", manual) 3. Units of Measurement: column 1. none column 2. none column 3. degrees column 4. degrees column 5. none column 6. none column 7. yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS - GMT column 8. YYYY column 9. MM column 10. DD column 11. hr column 12. min column 13. °C column 14. none column 15. S/m column 16. none column 17. dbar column 18. none column 19. m column 20. none column 21. PSU column 22. none column 23. kg/m^3 column 24. none 4. Data Type a. Storage Type: column 1. integer column 2. string column 3. floating-point column 4. floating-point column 5. integer column 6. integer column 7. string column 8. integer column 9. integer column 10. integer column 11. integer column 12. integer column 13. floating-point column 14. string column 15. floating-point column 16. string column 17. floating-point column 18. string column 19. floating-point column 20. string column 21. floating-point column 22. string column 23. floating-point column 24. string b. Variable Codes: Flag_Temperature: E = data value estimated by interpolation Flag_Conductivity: E = data value estimated by interpolation, Q = questionable value Flag_Pressure: E = data value estimated by interpolation Flag_Depth: E = data value estimated by interpolation Flag_Salinity: E = data value estimated by interpolation, Q = questionable value Flag_Sigma_t: E = data value estimated by interpolation, Q = questionable value c. Numeric Range: column 1. 6 to 6 column 2. (none) column 3. -81.3049 to -81.3049 column 4. 31.3935 to 31.3935 column 5. 1794 to 9960 column 6. 0 to 0 column 7. (none) column 8. 2016 to 2016 column 9. 1 to 12 column 10. 1 to 31 column 11. 0 to 23 column 12. 0 to 30 column 13. 9.2028 to 33.9626 column 14. (none) column 15. 0.52919 to 5.8868 column 16. (none) column 17. 0.07 to 4.123 column 18. (none) column 19. 0.069516 to 4.0944 column 20. (none) column 21. 3.9212 to 34.999 column 22. (none) column 23. 2.5879 to 23.5409 column 24. (none) d. Missing Value Code: 5. Data Format a. Column Type: column 1. numerical column 2. text column 3. numerical column 4. numerical column 5. numerical column 6. numerical column 7. text column 8. numerical column 9. numerical column 10. numerical column 11. numerical column 12. numerical column 13. numerical column 14. text column 15. numerical column 16. text column 17. numerical column 18. text column 19. numerical column 20. text column 21. numerical column 22. text column 23. numerical column 24. text b. Number of Columns: 24 c. Decimal Places: column 1. 0 column 2. 0 column 3. 6 column 4. 6 column 5. 0 column 6. 0 column 7. 0 column 8. 0 column 9. 0 column 10. 0 column 11. 0 column 12. 0 column 13. 3 column 14. 0 column 15. 3 column 16. 0 column 17. 3 column 18. 0 column 19. 3 column 20. 0 column 21. 3 column 22. 0 column 23. 3 column 24. 0 6. Logical Variable Type: column 1. nominal (discrete) column 2. nominal (none) column 3. geographic coordinate (continuous) column 4. geographic coordinate (continuous) column 5. nominal (discrete) column 6. logical (discrete) column 7. datetime (none) column 8. datetime (discrete) column 9. datetime (discrete) column 10. datetime (discrete) column 11. datetime (discrete) column 12. datetime (discrete) column 13. data (continuous) column 14. coded value (none) column 15. data (continuous) column 16. coded value (none) column 17. data (continuous) column 18. coded value (none) column 19. calculation (continuous) column 20. coded value (none) column 21. calculation (continuous) column 22. coded value (none) column 23. calculation (continuous) column 24. coded value (none) 7. Flagging Criteria: column 1. none column 2. flag_locationcoords(x,col_Longitude,col_Latitude,0.25,"sensitive","geo_locations.mat")=" Q" column 3. x<-180="Q";x>180="Q" column 4. x<-90="Q";x>90="Q" column 5. none column 6. x<0="I";x>1="I" column 7. none column 8. x<2000="Q" column 9. x<1="I";x>12="I" column 10. x<1="I";x>366="I" column 11. x<0="I";x>24="I" column 12. x<0="I";x>60="I" column 13. x<0="Q";x>35="Q";col_Depth<=0="I";col_Depth<0.15="Q";flag_valuechange(x,2,2,1,3)="Q";man ually-assigned flags column 14. none column 15. x<0="I";col_Depth<=0="I";col_Depth<0.15="Q";flag_valuechange(x,0.75,0.75,1,3)="Q";manual ly-assigned flags column 16. none column 17. x<0="I";x<0.05="X";x>10="Q";manually-assigned flags column 18. none column 19. x<0="I";x<0.05="X";x>10="Q";manually-assigned flags column 20. none column 21. x<0="I";col_Depth<=0="I";x>38="Q";col_Depth<0.15="Q";flag_valuechange(x,6,6,1,3)="Q";man ually-assigned flags column 22. none column 23. col_Depth<=0="I";col_Depth<0.15="Q";flag_valuechange(x,5,5,1,3)="Q";x<-5="Q";x>28="Q";ma nually-assigned flags column 24. none C. Data Anomalies: Sonde clock was set 1 hour ahead of UTC prior to the 3/8/2016 deployemnt. This time offset was corrected in initial processing. Deleted 479 rows with values in column(s) Pressure or Depth assigned QA/QC flag(s) X (excise row flag). Deleted the following rows with values in column(s) Pressure or Depth assigned QA/QC flag(s) X (excise row flag): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 2640. V. Supplemental Descriptors A. Data Acquisition 1. Data Forms: Copies of CTD cast logs and raw data are maintained at the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Information Management Office 2. Form Location: GCE-LTER Information Management Office, Dept. of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 3. Data Entry Validation: B. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures: QA/QC flags are generated automatically according to domain criteria specified for each data column, then subsequently reviewed and revised as appropriate. Coded flag columns are generated for each data column, listing qualifier flags assigned to the data value on the corresponding row. C. Supplemental Materials: not applicable D. Computer Programs: Sea-Bird Electronics Sea-Soft version 4.246, MATLAB version 2013B E. Archival Practices: Data sets and documentation are stored in structured binary (Matlab 5.x files) and delimited ASCII text formats, and archived on magnetic tape and CD at the GCE LTER Information Management Office at the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA F. Publications: not specified G. History of Data Set Usage 1. Data Request History: not specified 2. Data Set Update History: none 3. Review History: none 4. Questions and Comments from Users: none