Overview

Regular collection of physical oceanographic parameters has taken place in Glacier Bay since 1993. Over time the frequency of measurements has occasionally been amended and staff have turned over. But a solid continuous data series taken using consistent methods, locations, and equipment has been collected. It is made available for direct downloading on this website.

The purpose of this sampling is to compile a dataset of oceanographic conditions from Glacier Bay that can be used to 1) better understand seasonal and interannual changes in the local and regional oceanographic dynamics and 2) better understand spatial and temporal variation in the abundance patterns of marine organisms including phytoplankton, zooplankton, marine invertebrates, fishes, mammals and seabirds. Measured and derived parameters that comprise this dataset include temperature, salinity, stratification, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), optical backscatterance (OBS; turbidity), chlorophyll fluorescence, and dissolved oxygen.

Abstract

The oceanography program’s 22 stations span the length of Glacier Bay proper, from just outside the mouth of the Bay to the heads of both the East and West Arms. Generally mid-channel and equidistant, stations capture a range of depths from shallow sills to deep basins, and are located along the gradient from tidewater glaciers and turbid outwash streams to source waters at Icy Strait. Seven core stations are sampled on nine cruises per year to allow description of intra-annual variation, and all 22 stations are occupied during two of these cruises (July and winter) to allow description of inter-annual variation. This sampling design also allows us to detect long-term seasonal and annual trends, and to describe the current year in a historical context. We measure standard oceanographic parameters throughout the water column: temperature, salinity, pressure, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), optical backscatterance (OBS – turbidity), dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence (proxy for chlorophyll-a concentration, an index of primary productivity). The scope and methods are fully explained in the formal monitoring protocol.

The monitoring program was initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1993 and co-operated each year by USGS and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve through 2008. In 2009, NPS took on full responsibility for the program. That year, the Southeast Alaska Network initiated a comprehensive update of the program, following recommendations from a 2006 program review, peer-reviewed analyses of the Glacier Bay data, and input from staff at USGS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and several universities. The update resulted in retention of most stations, the addition of one new station, and a temporal shift of the sampling effort from a quarterly cruise schedule. We also rebuilt the data processing and management system to meet NPS I&M standards and to ensure that all products – from raw and validated field data through the protocol and synthesis reports – are fully validated and web accessible.

Research Permits

• Etherington 2004 through 2010
• Hooge 2001 through 2010
• Hooge 2000
• Hooge 1998 through 1999

Investigator Annual Reports

• 2007
• 2006
• 2005
• 2004
• 2002
• 2001
• 2000
• 1999
• 1998

Contacts

Protocols

Deliverable OC_A

Resource Brief

Deliverable Product Tracking

Program Evaluation Report

Please select from the choices on the left.

Annual Reports

Deliverable OC_K

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• Sharman, L. C. 2013. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve oceanographic monitoring program: 2011 annual report. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SEAN/NRTR—2013/729. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. » IRMA
• Sharman, L. C. 2013. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve oceanographic monitoring program: 2010 annual report. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SEAN/NRTR—2013/728. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. » IRMA
• Sharman, L. C. 2011. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve oceanographic monitoring program: 2009 annual report. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SEAN/NRTR—2011/508. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. » IRMA

Other Reports

• Danielson, S. L. 2012. Glacier Bay oceanographic monitoring program analysis of observations, 1993–2009. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SEAN/NRTR—2012/527. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. » IRMA
• Eckert, Ginny L. 2005. Southeast Alaska synthesis of marine biology and oceanography: workshop report. University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, AK.
• Etherington, Lisa L., Philip N. Hooge, Elizabeth R. Hooge. 2007. Oceanography of Glacier Bay, Alaska: implications for biological patterns in a glacial fjord estuary. Estuaries and Coasts 30(6): 927-944.
• Etherington, Lisa L., Philip N. Hooge, Elizabeth R. Hooge. 2004. Factors affecting seasonal and regional patterns of surface water oceanographic properties within a fjord estuarine system: Glacier Bay, AK. USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska.
• Etherington, Lisa L. 2004. Monitoring of oceanographic properties of Glacier Bay, Alaska: 2003 annual report. USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska.
• Hooge, Philip N. and Elizabeth R. Hooge. 2002. Fjord oceanographic processes in Glacier Bay, Alaska. USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska.
• Johnson, W. F. and M. M. Stachura. 2011. Creation of Glacier Bay oceanographic information products defined in protocol OC-2010.1 using legacy data covering 1993 through 2008: methods, quality levels, and exceptions. Natural Resource Data Series NPS/SEAN/NRDS—2011/130. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. » IRMA
• Madison, Erica and Lisa L. Etherington. 2005. Monitoring of oceanographic properties of Glacier Bay, Alaska: 2004 annual report. USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska.
• Sharman, Lewis. 2010. Driving the Marine Ecosystem: Oceanography as a Key Long-term Monitoring Vital Sign at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Alaska Park Science. June 2010: 36-39.

Video

Lewis Sharman and Stacey Reisdorph explain the objectives and methods of the oceanographic monitoring program while working in the field.

Deliverables Produced for this Vital Sign

The following information products are maintained by this monitoring program. Full details are available in chapter 4 of the monitoring protocols.

OC_A	CON calibration files.
OC_B	Raw HEX data files.
OC_C	CNV calibrated instrument readings binned into one meter segments and expressed in engineering units.
OC_D	Database containing cumulative final certified observations.
OC_F	National Oceanographic Data Center repository submissions.
OC_G	Certificates of calibration for individual instruments.
OC_H	Field log sheets.
OC_I	Protocol documents defining the oceanographic monitoring program (under the Program tab).
OC_J	Data availability matrix showing months each parameter was observed.
OC_K	Annual report summarizing operations and data (under the Reports & Analyses tab).
OC_L	Periodic analysis reviewing trends in the collected parameters (under the Reports & Analyses / Other Reports tab).
OC_M	Data quality assignment report used to flag database rows judged to be anomalous for various reasons.

Database Query and Download

Deliverable OC_D

The processed CNV data collected to date are stored in a single database from which one may extract rows of interest. One may filter data by "cruise year" and/or a range of dates and/or a range of depths and/or regions. Cruise years run from November through October. For items you do not specify filters on, all data will be extracted. Refer to the Popup User Guide for detailed information on how to retrieve and interpret these data.

Filter Criteria

Year: ALL 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993                                Include comments:

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Earliest date:           Latest date:  

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Shallowest Depth (m):         Greatest Depth:  

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Area:

1: Lower Bay     2: Central Bay     3: West Arm     4: East Arm

Note: Screen preview is limited to 1,000 rows so browser does not clog up.

[To see previews, your browser must not block Popups from this site.]

Availability of Specific Sensor Data by Time

Deliverable OC_J

CON Calibration Files

Deliverable OC_A

CTD#5

December 2011 November 2010 August 2009

CTD#2

October 2004 January 2003 June 2002 June 2001 July 1999 July 1999 (A) June 1998 July 1996 October 1993 October 1993 (A) May 1993 May 1993 (A) May 1991

CTD#1

March 2011 April 2010 March 2009 December 2007 April 2006 December 2004 May 2004 January 2003 August 2000 August 2000 (A) June 1993 March 1990

"CON" files define the sensor configuration and calibration parameters of Sea-Bird oceanographic CTD profilers. Until recently they followed a proprietary format set by Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc. Proprietary files are not interpretable by common applications. To view or edit these data, one must invoke SBEDataProc.EXE software from Sea-Bird. (Calibration files are in XML form beginning in December 2011.) CON files, combined with raw HEX data, are used to generate the useful CNV processed data files.

A new CON file is generated for a particular CTD each time the CTD is calibrated. A revised file may also be created between formal calibrations to reflect a new, removed, or repaired sensor on the unit. You may download individual files by clicking their links, above. The appropriate CON file to use for generating particular CNV files is the first file that is equal to or earlier than the month and year the cast was made. It is possible, though rare, for a CTD to have more than one CON file in a particular month and year. In such cases the second file is marked with (A), a third with (B), and so on. The actual dates of each calibration in a file may be seen inside the file.

HEX Raw Data Files

Deliverable OC_B

Links to Raw Data

"HEX" files are the raw output of the Sea-Bird oceanographic CTD profilers. They contain frequencies and voltages output by sensors in a proprietary format set by Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc. These files are not readable by common applications. To work with these data, one typically first processes them using specialized software from Sea-Bird Electronics that converts the raw counts into engineering units, such as degrees C. This processing requires the availability of "CON" calibration files that fully define the sensors on the particular CTD unit, and results in the OC_C deliverable available elsewhere on this site.

One may download the files for a particular year by clicking its link . The files are packaged in a single zip containing one year per cast. Years with inactive links are undergoing quality assurance and will not be available until standards have been met.

CNV Processed Cast Data

Deliverable OC_C

Links to Processed Data

"CNV" files are made by converting the sensor levels in HEX files into useful engineering units, which are further corrected for detector sensitivities. The files contain straight ASCII data, useable with many software products including spreadsheets. Each file contains a preamble of detailed documentation including collection and processing dates, processing steps taken, intermediate files used, adjustment parameters considered, sensors employed for the cast, and the order data are placed in columns.

One CNV file is created for each cast taken. All casts made for a particular sampling year are packaged into a single ZIP file for distribution.

National Oceanographic Data Center Repository

Deliverable OC_F

OC Data Toolbox

Manuals

• Sea-Bird SBE19 CTD
  
• Sea-Bird SBE19+V2 CTD
  
• Sea-Bird Data Processing System
  
• Sea-Bird Web Manuals
  
• Garmin GPS 76
  

Forms

• Download checklist (OC_B)
• Field log sheet (OC_H)
• Data quality report (OC_M)

NPS Only

• Data Management Site

Station Locations

CTD Calibration Certifications

Deliverable OC_G

CTD sensors are periodically recalibrated by instrument makers. The parameters obtained are used to adjust future processed data to account for "drift". Formal record of calibrations are available as PDF documents.

CTD#5

12/2011 Conductivity 12/2011 Fluorometry 12/2011 Oxygen 12/2011 PA Radiation 12/2011 Pressure 12/2011 Temperature 12/2011 Turbidity 11/2010 Fluorometry 11/2010 Oxygen 11/2010 PA Radiation 11/2010 Turbidity 10/2010 Conductivity 10/2010 Pressure 10/2010 Temperature 8/2009 Conductivity 8/2009 Oxygen 8/2009 PA Radiation 8/2009 Temperature 6/2009 Fluorometry 6/2009 Turbidity 5/2009 Pressure

CTD#2

10/2004 PA Radiation 9/2004 Pressure 9/2004 Conductivity 9/2004 Temperature 1/2003 Fluorometry 1/2003 Turbidity 12/2002 PA Radiation 11/2002 Conductivity 11/2002 Pressure 11/2002 Temperature 6/2002 Conductivity 6/2002 Pressure 6/2002 Temperature 6/2002 Turbidity 6/2001 Pressure 5/2001 Conductivity 5/2001 Temperature 7/1999 Conductivity 7/1999 Fluorometry 7/1999 Pressure 7/1999 Temperature 6/1998 Pressure 5/1998 Conductivity 5/1998 PA Radiation 5/1998 Temperature 7/1996 Conductivity 7/1996 PA Radiation 7/1996 Pressure 7/1996 Temperature 6/1995 Turbidity 10/1993 Pressure 5/1993 Conductivity 5/1993 Pressure 5/1993 Temperature 5/1991 Conductivity 5/1991 Pressure 5/1991 Temperature 9/1987 PA Radiation

CTD#1

3/2011 Conductivity 3/2011 Oxygen 3/2011 Pressure 3/2011 Temperature 3/2010 Fluorometry 3/2010 Turbidity 12/2009 Conductivity 12/2009 Oxygen 12/2009 PA Radiation 12/2009 Pressure 12/2009 Temperature 4/2009 Oxygen 3/2009 Conductivity 3/2009 Fluorometry 3/2009 Temperature 3/2009 Turbidity 2/2009 PA Radiation 2/2009 Pressure 11/2007 Conductivity 11/2007 Pressure 11/2007 Temperature 4/2006 Conductivity 4/2006 Pressure 4/2006 Temperature 12/2004 Conductivity 12/2004 Pressure 5/2004 Temperature 5/2004 Conductivity 5/2004 Pressure 5/2004 Temperature 1/2003 Fluorometry 12/2002 PA Radiation 11/2002 Conductivity 11/2002 Pressure 11/2002 Temperature 7/2001 Turbidity 7/2000 Turbidity 6/2000 PA Radiation 5/2000 Fluorometry 6/1993 Conductivity 6/1993 Temperature 5/1993 Conductivity 5/1993 Temperature 3/1990 Conductivity 3/1990 Temperature

Field Log Images

Deliverable OC_H

Links to Field Logs

During a cruise, individual cast parameters are recorded on a paper Field Log form. Notes and exceptions are also recorded there. These values are subsequently entered into HEX files as they are created, where they are embedded as metadata at the top of each file. When CNV files are generated, the parameters automatically propagate to them as well.

You may download the images for a particular year by clicking its link. The back of the form is available for extended comments. If there are any marks on the back, then the back view is also included in the image file. Comments may be especially helpful in making data quality judgements. All Field Log forms for a particular sampling year are provided in a single PDF file. File sizes range from about 2MB to 36MB.

Data Quality Assessment

Deliverable OC_M

Links to Data Quality Assessments

Data are assessed after the cruise year following certification of the OC_D database update and its prerequisites. A structured report is produced by the Project Lead, noting a fixed set of data quality factors that may have been encountered over the season. Assessments are recorded at the "dump number" level. Within a dump, each cast is assigned an overall quality code following the "Ocean Data View" system coding scheme. Any defective sensors are noted by cast. All assessment reports made for a particular cruise year are packaged into a single PDF file for distribution.

Once this deliverable has been certified, it is applied to the corresponding database casts, updating the attributes named Data Quality and Data Quality Comment. Sensors marked defective in a cast have their corresponding values nullified in the database.