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Water quality surveys in Culebra: comprehensive assessment of inorganic nutrient concentrations 2023-05-03 to 2024-05-21 (NCEI Accession 0306499)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 03, 2026 at 05:08 AM | Dataset Last Updated: November 04, 2025 at 12:00 AM
This record describes water quality inorganic nutrient concentration metrics collected monthly between May 2023 to May 2024 to provide reference data of nearshore and watershed water quality on the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico. The water quality monitoring was conducted at 18 fixed stations. Five stations were selected to quantify Land Based Sources of Pollution (LBSP) stressor loads at key point and non-point sources in the Cabra, Coronel, and Aeropuerto watersheds. Levels of LBSP exposure were measured at 13 nearshore stations co-located with long-term seagrass monitoring sites. Nearshore monitoring sites 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. Nearshore water quality samples were collected at two depths: surface (10-25 cm ) and bottom (2 m deep). Watershed water quality samples were collected only at surface. Water quality inorganic nutrient concentration metrics include: Nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, and silica. 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. 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).

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  • Descriptive Information

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  • https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024_Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program.pdf

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  • https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024f_Appendix-A_Identifying_Priority_Fixed-Site_Monitoring_Locations.pdf

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  • https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024c_Nearshore_WaterQuality_Monitoring_WorkPlan.pdf

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  • https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024e_Seagrass_Monitoring_Transects_WorkPlan.pdf

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  • https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024b_Watershed_WaterQuality_Monitoring_WorkPlan.pdf

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  • https://taskforce.coralreef.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Priority_Ecosystem_Indicators_Final-2_18_16.pdf

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  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

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  • NCEI Contact Information

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0306499 AMMONIUM (NH4) NITRATE NITRITE NITROGEN phosphate silicate Total nitrogen

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identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/0306499.xml
issued 2025-07-23T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "0306499",
  "AMMONIUM (NH4)",
  "NITRATE",
  "NITRITE",
  "NITROGEN",
  "phosphate",
  "silicate",
  "Total nitrogen",
  "TOTAL PHOSPHORUS",
  "laboratory analysis",
  "Niskin bottle",
  "nutrient autoanalyzer",
  "spectrophotometer",
  "in situ",
  "laboratory analyses",
  "manual sample collection",
  "physical",
  "NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation",
  "NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation",
  "CORAL REEF STUDIES",
  "Caribbean Sea",
  "oceanography",
  "DOC/NOAA/NMFS > National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "30033",
  "Reducing LBSP threats from unpaved roads on Culebra Island",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Chemistry",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Water Quality",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Nitrate",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Nitrite",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Nitrogen",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Nitrogen > Total",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Phosphate",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Phosphate > Total",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Phosphorus",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Silicate",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > AMMONIA",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > NITRATE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > NITRITE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > NITROGEN",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > PHOSPHATE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > SILICATE",
  "Dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations",
  "AUTOANALYZER > AUTOANALYZER",
  "NISKIN BOTTLES",
  "OPTSPEC > Optical Spectrometer",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Culebra Island (18N065W0011)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Culebra Island (18N065W0011)",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA",
  "Culebra Island, Puerto Rico",
  "ERCP08"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
[
  "https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024_Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program.pdf",
  "https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024f_Appendix-A_Identifying_Priority_Fixed-Site_Monitoring_Locations.pdf",
  "https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024c_Nearshore_WaterQuality_Monitoring_WorkPlan.pdf",
  "https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024e_Seagrass_Monitoring_Transects_WorkPlan.pdf",
  "https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NMFS/OHC/Projects/30033/Culebra_LBSP_RidgeToReef_Monitoring_Program/Vargas-Angel2024b_Watershed_WaterQuality_Monitoring_WorkPlan.pdf",
  "https://taskforce.coralreef.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Priority_Ecosystem_Indicators_Final-2_18_16.pdf"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial -65.2444444,18.288611,-65.3083333,18.319444
temporal 2023-05-03T00:00:00+00:00/2024-05-21T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title Water quality surveys in Culebra: comprehensive assessment of inorganic nutrient concentrations 2023-05-03 to 2024-05-21 (NCEI Accession 0306499)

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