This file contains data on ambient concentrations of toxic substances and other pollutants in the marine environment. The data derive from laboratory analyses of samples of water, sediment, or marine organisms. Samples may have been collected near marine discharge sites or during ocean monitoring surveys of large areas. Field observations of tar deposits on beaches may also be reported. Survey information includes platform type, start and end dates, and investigator and institution. If data are collected near a discharge site, discharge location, depth, distance to shore, average volume, and other characteristics are reported. Position, date, time and environmental conditions are reported for each sample station. Environmental data may include meteorological and sea surface conditions, tide stage and height, depth of the thermocline or mixed layer surface temperature and salinity, and wave height and periods. Sample characteristics, collection methods, and laboratory techniques are reported for each sample collected and analyzed. The data record comprises concentration values (or a code to indicate trace amounts) for each chemical substance analyzed. Chemical substances are identified by codes based on the registry numbers assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) of the American Chemical Society. Marine organisms from which samples have been taken are identified using the 12-digit NODC Taxonomic Code. A text record is available for optional comments.
Eight 80-character records: (1) Survey Header Record, (2) Effluent Record, (3) Station Header Record, (4) Environment Record, (5) Sample Header Record, (6) Data Record, (7) Beach Tar Record, and (8) Text Record.
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| SURVEY HEADER RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'A' - THIS RECORD IS MANDATORY AND SHOULD AGREE WITH ANY DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED WITH THE DIGITAL DATA. THIS RECORD SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ONLY ONCE FOR EACH DISCRETE DATA SET (SURVEY OR FILE ID). | 10 | 1 |
| BLANKS | 11 | 5 | |
| PLATFORM | ELEVEN-CHARACTER FIELD TO INDICATE THE SURVEY PLATFORM NAME | 16 | 11 |
| SURVEY IDENTIFICATION | SIX-CHARACTER FIELD ASSIGNED BY THE ORIGINATOR TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC SURVEY | 27 | 6 |
| SURVEY DATE - FROM | YYYYMMDD - START DATE OF SURVEY | 33 | 8 |
| SURVEY DATE - TO | YYYYMMDD - END DATE OF SURVEY | 41 | 8 |
| INVESTIGATOR/DATA SOURCE/MUNICIPALITY/CONTRACTOR | 15-CHARACTER FIELD TO IDENTIFY SOURCE OF DATA OR MUNICIPALITY FOR THOSE STUDIES CONCERNED WITH EFFLUENTS OR OTHER DISCHARGE SOURCES IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT | 49 | 15 |
| INSTITUTION OR AGENCY | 15-CHARACTER FIELD FOR INVESTIGATOR'S INSTITUTION NAME | 64 | 15 |
| BLANKS | 79 | 2 | |
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
| EFFLUENT RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'B' - THIS RECORD IS DESIGNED PRIMARILY TO REPORT INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THE EPA 301(H) PROGRAM AND MAYBE OPTIONAL FOR OTHER STUDIES. ONE RECORD 'B' SHOULD BE SUBMITTED FOR EACH DISCHARGE SITE OR EFFLUENT. FACILITIES WITH MULTIPLE EFFLUENTS THEREFORE SHOULD REPORT RECORD 'B' INFORMATION FOR EACH EFFLUENT SOURCE. | 10 | 1 |
| BLANKS | 11 | 5 | |
| EFFLUENT IDENTIFIER | TWO-CHARACTER FIELD TO IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC EFFLUENT SOURCE - USED PRIMARILY TO DIFFERENTIATE MULTIPLE DISCHARGE SOURCES FOR ONE MUNICIPALITY OR FACILITY. IDENTIFIERS ARE DESIGNATED BY THE MUNICIPALITY OR INVESTIGATOR POINT OF DISCHARGE: THIS LOCATION IS TO REPRESENT THE MIDPOINT OF THE ZONE OF INITIAL DILUTION (ZID) FOR EPA 301(H) DATA AND THE LOCATION OF THE EFFLUENT SOURCE IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT FOR OTHER DATA SUBMISSIONS: | 16 | 2 |
| LATITUDE | DDMMSS (DEGREES, MINUTES, SECONDS) | 18 | 6 |
| LATITUDE HEMISPHERE | 1-CHARACTER CODE - 'N' OR 'S' | 24 | 1 |
| LONGITUDE | DDDMMSS (DEGREES, MINUTES, SECONDS) | 25 | 7 |
| LONGITUDE HEMISPHERE | 1-CHARACTER CODE - 'E' OR 'W' | 32 | 1 |
| DISTANCE FROM SHORE TO DISCHARGE POINT | XXXXXX - DISTANCE IN KILOMETERS TO THOUSANDTHS | 33 | 6 |
| DEPTH OF DISCHARGE | XXXX - THE DEPTH AT THE POINT OF DISCHARGE (MIDPOINT OF ZID) IN WHOLE METERS | 39 | 4 |
| AVERAGE DISCHARGE FOR SURVEY PERIOD | XXXXX - AVERAGE DISCHARGE EXPRESSED IN MILLION GALLONS/DAY (MGD) TO HUNDREDTHS - THIS SHOULD REFER TO THE AVERAGE DURING THE SURVEY PERIOD OR SEASON - DETAILED DISCHARGE INFORMATION CAN BE SUBMITTED WITH EPA PERMIT APPLICATIONS, ETC. | 43 | 5 |
| AREA OF ZID | XXXXX - AREA OF ZONE OF INITIAL DILUTION AS DEFINED BY EPA REGULATIONS WHICH WILL VARY WITH EACH SITE DEPENDING ON THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISCHARGE PLUME AND THE DEPTH OF THE WATER - EXPRESSED IN SQUARE KILOMETERS TO HUNDREDTHS | 48 | 5 |
| DISCHARGE DESCRIPTION | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO DESCRIBE THE GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCHARGE AREA AS REPORTED IN STANDARD FORM A - EPA FORM 7550- 22 - USE NODC CODE 0346 | 53 | 1 |
| PERIODIC DISCHARGE | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO INDICATE IF EFFLUENT IS SUBJECT TO PERIODIC FLUCTUATIONS IN DISCHARGE - USE NODC CODE 0117 | 54 | 1 |
| WET OR DRY PERIOD | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO INDICATE WHETHER SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN WET OR DRY SEASON - USE NODC CODE 0347 | 55 | 1 |
| PRIMARY INDUSTRY | TWO-CHARACTER CODE - AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF THE STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION CODE (S.I.C.) AS PREPARED BY THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION IN 1972. THE PRIMARY USE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUR DIGIT CODES IS FOR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES. FOR THIS PARTICULAR FORMAT, THE INTENT IS TO IDENTIFY THE GENERAL OR PRIMARY SOURCE OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES OR CONTAMINANTS IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AS RELATED TO A SPECIFIC EFFLUENT SOURCE. FOR EPA 301(H) STUDIES, THE CODE USED FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES SEWAGE AND SANITARY SYSTEMS, IS 49 - USE NODC CODE 0375 | 56 | 2 |
| STATION IDENTIFIER | 10-CHARACTER ORIGINATOR STATION IDENTIFIER | 58 | 10 |
| BLANKS | 68 | 13 | |
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
| STATION HEADER RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'C' - THIS RECORD IS MANDATORY FOR POSITION AND DATES. INDIVIDUAL RECORD SHOULD BE SUBMITTED FOR EACH SAMPLING STATION. INFORMATION ON ZID IS REQUIRED ONLY FOR EPA 301(H) DATA SUBMISSIONS. | 10 | 1 |
| STATION NUMBER | FIVE-CHARACTER FIELD - MUST BE UNIQUE FOR EACH DATA SET (SURVEY PERIOD OR FILE ID). IF THE STATION IS REOCCUPIED DURING THE SAME SURVEY (FILE ID), THE STATION NUMBER MAY BE RETAINED BUT SHOULD BE PRECEDED BY SOME ALPHA-NUMERIC CHARACTER. FOR SUBSEQUENT SURVEYS (DIFFERENT FILE ID'S), THE ORIGINAL STATION NUMBERS AND THE SAME REOCCUPIED NUMBERING SCHEME MAY BE USED AGAIN. THE ALPHA-NUMERIC PREFIX IS NECESSARY TO INSURE THAT ALL DATA RELATED TO A SPECIFIC MEASUREMENT IS CORRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXACT TIME AND PLACE OF THE STATION. WATER, BIOTA AND SEDIMENT SAMPLES MAY BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE SAME STATION. [STATION LOCATION: POSITIONS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE NEAREST SECOND IF POSSIBLE - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUCH AS LOCATION WITHIN A SECTION OF A RIVER OR ESTUARY MAY BE INCLUDED AS A TEXT RECORD.] | 11 | 5 |
| LATITUDE | DDMMSS (DEGREES, MINUTES, SECONDS) | 16 | 6 |
| LATITUDE HEMISPHERE | 1-CHARACTER CODE - 'N' OR 'S' | 22 | 1 |
| LONGITUDE | DDDMMSS (DEGREES, MINUTES, SECONDS) | 23 | 7 |
| LONGITUDE HEMISPHERE | 1-CHARACTER CODE - 'E' OR 'W' | 30 | 1 |
| DATE (GMT) | YYYYMMDD - DATE OF MEASUREMENT | 31 | 8 |
| TIME (GMT) | XXXX - HOURS AND MINUTES | 39 | 4 |
| EFFLUENT IDENTIFIER | TWO-CHARACTER FIELD TO LINK EFFLUENT DATA DESCRIBED IN RECORD B | 43 | 2 |
| STATION INSIDE ZID | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO INDICATE IF STATION IS INSIDE ZONE OF INITIAL DILUTION OF NEAREST EFFLUENT (PRIMARILY FOR 301(H) DATA SUBMISSIONS) - USE NODC CODE 0117 | 45 | 1 |
| DISTANCE TO NEAREST ZID OR EFFLUENT | XXXXXX - DISTANCE FROM STATION TO MIDPOINT OF NEAREST ZID AS REQUIRED FOR 301(H) SUBMISSIONS OR TO EFFLUENT SOURCE (OR MIDPOINT OF SPILL SOURCE) FOR OTHER STUDIES - KM TO THOUSANDTHS | 46 | 6 |
| STATION IDENTIFIER | 10-CHARACTER ORIGINATOR STATION IDENTIFIER | 52 | 10 |
| BLANKS | 62 | 16 | |
| SEQUENCE NUMBER | XXX - GENERALLY '001' UNLESS THE STATION DATA IS PRECEDED BY TEXT RECORDS. SEQUENCE NUMBERS ARE ASCENDING FOR ALL RECORDS WITHIN A STATION. A NEW STATION SHOULD BEGIN WITH A NEW SEQUENCE SERIES STARTING AGAIN WITH '001'. | 78 | 3 |
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
| ENVIRONMENT RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'D' - INDIVIDUAL ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS ARE OPTIONAL AND ARE DEPENDENT ON REQUIREMENTS DESIGNATED BY EACH PROJECT | 10 | 1 |
| STATION NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 11 | 5 |
| BOTTOM DEPTH | XXXX - DEPTH IN WHOLE METERS | 16 | 4 |
| BOTTOM TYPE | TWO-CHARACTER CODE - USE NODC CODE 0077 | 20 | 2 |
| CURRENT SPEED | XXX - SPEED OF SURFACE CURRENT IN METERS PER SECOND TO TENTHS | 22 | 3 |
| CURRENT DIRECTION | TWO-CHARACTER CODE - USE CODE NODC 0110 | 25 | 2 |
| WIND SPEED | XX - SURFACE WIND SPEED IN WHOLE METERS PER SECOND | 27 | 2 |
| WIND DIRECTION | TWO-CHARACTER CODE - USE NODC CODE 0110 | 29 | 2 |
| SEA STATE | ONE-CHARACTER CODE - USE NODC CODE 0109 | 31 | 1 |
| TIDE HEIGHT | XXX - HEIGHT OF TIDE IN METERS TO TENTHS | 32 | 3 |
| TIDE STAGE | ONE-CHARACTER CODE - USE NODC CODE 0154 | 35 | 1 |
| DEPTH OF THERMOCLINE | XXX - DEPTH OF THERMOCLINE OR MIXED LAYER - IN WHOLE METERS | 36 | 3 |
| TRANSPARENCY | XXX - SECCHI DISK DEPTH IN METERS TO TENTHS | 39 | 3 |
| AIR TEMPERATURE | XXXX - NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES ARE PRECEDED BY A MINUS SIGN ADJACENT TO TEMPERATURE VALUE (DEG C TO TENTHS) | 42 | 4 |
| WATER SURFACE TEMPERATURE | XXXX - NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES ARE PRECEDED BY A MINUS SIGN ADJACENT TO TEMPERATURE VALUE (DEG C TO HUNDREDTHS) | 46 | 4 |
| WATER SURFACE SALINITY | XXXX (PARTS PER THOUSAND OR PRACTICAL SALINITY UNITS - TO HUNDREDTHS) | 50 | 4 |
| WAVE HEIGHT | TWO-CHARACTER CODE - USE NODC CODE 0362 | 54 | 2 |
| WAVE PERIOD | XX - AVERAGE WIND-WAVE PERIOD TO NEAREST SEC IN WHOLE SECONDS | 56 | 2 |
| SALINITY METHOD | ONE-CHARACTER CODE - ('P'=PRACTICAL SALINITY, 'S'=SALINITY, BLANK=NOT SPECIFIED) | 58 | 1 |
| BLANKS | 59 | 19 | |
| SEQUENCE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 78 | 3 |
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
| SAMPLE HEADER RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'E' - THIS RECORD IS MANDATORY - SPECIFIC PARAMETER ENTRIES ARE DEPENDENT ON THE TYPE OF SAMPLE BEING REPORTED. MULTIPLE RECORDS CAN BE INCLUDED FOR EACH STATION NUMBER WHERE DIFFERENT GEAR ARE USED FOR DIFFERENT SAMPLES, DIFFERENT SPECIES ARE IDENTIFIED, DIFFERENT ORGAN SAMPLES ANALYZED, ETC. | 10 | 1 |
| STATION NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 11 | 5 |
| SAMPLE NUMBER | XXX - USED TO DIFFERENTIATE SAMPLES WITHIN A STATION | 16 | 3 |
| REPLICATE NUMBER | X - USED TO DIFFERENTIATE REPLICATES WITHIN A STATION OR SAMPLE | 19 | 1 |
| SPECIMEN NUMBER | XXX - USED TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL OR GROUPS OF SPECIMENS WITHIN A SAMPLE | 20 | 3 |
| SAMPLE TYPE | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY GENERAL SAMPLE TYPES - USE NODC CODE 0210 | 23 | 1 |
| SAMPLE DEPTH - UPPER | XXXXXX - USE FOR DISCRETE WATER SAMPLE DEPTH, UPPER DEPTH OF SEDIMENT CORE SAMPLES OR UPPER DEPTH OF BIOLOGICAL TOWS (METERS TO HUNDREDTHS) | 24 | 6 |
| SAMPLE DEPTH - LOWER | XXXXXX - USE ONLY FOR LOWER DEPTH OF SEDIMENT CORE SAMPLES OR LOWER DEPTH OF BIOLOGICAL TOWS (METERS TO HUNDREDTHS) | 30 | 6 |
| SAMPLE ELEVATION - INTERTIDAL | XXX - USE FOR INTERTIDAL OR BEACH SAMPLES - PRECEDE ELEVATION VALUES WITH A MINUS SIGN FOR SAMPLES COLLECTED BELOW WATER LEVEL - REFERENCE TO MEAN LOW WATER (METERS TO TENTHS). VALUE REPRESENTS THE LOWEST ELEVATION WHERE COMPOSITE SAMPLES ARE CONSIDERED. | 36 | 3 |
| SPHERE | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY THE SPHERE FROM WHICH THE SAMPLE WAS COLLECTED - USE NODC CODE 0093 | 39 | 1 |
| METHOD | TWO-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY THE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS METHOD USED FOR ANALYZING THE SAMPLE. THE CODE ENTRY SHOULD REPRESENT THE FINAL ANALYSIS METHOD OR COMBINED METHODS AS LISTED IN THE CODE GROUP - ADDITIONAL COMBINATION METHODS MAY BE REQUESTED FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE GROUP (MORE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS OF ANALYSIS METHODS MAY BE INCLUDED IN THE DDF) - USE NODC CODE 0350 | 40 | 2 |
| GEAR TYPE | TWO-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY GEAR TYPE USED TO COLLECT THE SAMPLE - GEAR TYPES ARE IDENTIFIED FOR GENERAL CATEGORIES ONLY. MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON GEAR TYPES MAY BE INCLUDED IN THE DDF SUBMITTED WITH EACH DATA SET - USE NODC CODE 0376 | 42 | 2 |
| TYPE OF TOW | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY BIOLOGICAL TOW USED IN COLLECTING THE SAMPLE - USE NODC CODE 0314 | 44 | 1 |
| TAXONOMIC CODE | 12-DIGIT CODE - USE NODC TAXONOMIC CODE - IF SPECIES CODE IS NOT AVAILABLE, CONTACT NODC FOR CODE ASSIGNMENT - DO NOT INDEPENDENTLY ASSIGN CODES TO NEW SPECIES OR SPECIES WHOSE CODES HAVE NOT YET BEEN ASSIGNED | 45 | 12 |
| NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS | XXXXX - NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IN EACH SAMPLE OR NUMBER OF GRABS, ETC FOR COMPOSITE SAMPLES | 57 | 5 |
| PREDOMINANT SEX | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY SEX OR PREDOMINANT SEX OF SAMPLE WHERE POSSIBLE - USE NODC CODE 0101 | 62 | 1 |
| LIFE STAGE | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY PREDOMINANT LIFE STAGE OF SAMPLE WHERE POSSIBLE - USE NODC CODE 0148 | 63 | 1 |
| MATERIAL ANALYZED | TWO-CHARACTER CODE TO INDENTIFY THE ORGAN OR PORTION OF THE SAMPLE ANALYZED - USE NODC CODE 0037 | 64 | 2 |
| BIOLOGICAL NICHE | TWO-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY THOSE SPECIMENS THAT CANNOT BE TAXONOMICALLY CODED TO SPECIES LEVELS - USE NODC CODE 0351 | 66 | 2 |
| WET WEIGHT OF ANALYSIS ALIQUOT | XXXXXXX - WET WEIGHT IN GRAMS TO HUNDREDTHS | 68 | 7 |
| DRY WEIGHT(PERCENT) | XXX - PERCENT OF TOTAL SAMPLE REMAINING AFTER DRYING - EXPRESSED IN PERCENT BY WEIGHT TO TENTHS | 75 | 3 |
| SEQUENCE NUMBER | XXX - SEE RECORD 'C' | 78 | 3 |
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
| DATA RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'F' - THIS RECORD CAN BE USED TO REPORT UP TO THREE SUBSTANCES PER RECORD - MULTIPLE DATA RECORDS MAY BE INCLUDED FOR EACH SAMPLE FOR REPORTING TOXICS, CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR OTHER SUBSTANCES IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT. DATA IN EACH RECORD SHOULD REFER TO RESULTS FROM THE SAME ANALYTICAL METHOD, GEAR TYPE, ETC FOR A SINGLE SAMPLE AS SPECIFIED IN RECORD 'E' | 10 | 1 |
| STATION NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 11 | 5 |
| SAMPLE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'E' | 16 | 3 |
| REPLICATE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'E' | 19 | 1 |
| SPECIMEN NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'E' | 20 | 3 |
| PARAMETER CODE(1) | NINE-CHARACTER CODE TO IDENTIFY PARAMETER MEASURED; ENTRIES MUST BE LEFT JUSTIFIED - USE CAS CODE FILE. IF PARAMETER CODE IS NOT LISTED IN FILE, CONTACT THE NODC FOR CODE ASSIGNMENT OR CONFIRMATION - DO NOT INDEPENDENTLY ASSIGN CODES WITHOUT CONTACTING NODC FOR PRIOR APPROVAL. | 23 | 9 |
| MEASUREMENT CODE(1) | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO DESCRIBE THE WEIGHT AND/OR VOLUME COMBINATION OR RADIOACTIVITY UNITS OR TO INDICATE A UNITLESS MEASUREMENT - USE NODC CODE 0377 | 32 | 1 |
| TRACE CODE(1) | ONE CHARACTER CODE TO INDICATE TRACE OR OTHER UNQUANTIFIABLE VALUES FOR A PARAMETER. IF A 'N' OR 'T' CODE IS ENTERED, THEN THE CONCENTRATION AND EXPONENT FIELDS MUST BE LEFT BLANK FOR THAT PARAMETER. IF A 'L' CODE IS ENTERED, THE CONCENTRATION AND EXPONENT FIELDS SHOULD CONTAIN THE LOWER LIMIT OF DETECTION. USE NODC CODE 0379. | 33 | 1 |
| CONCENTRATION(1) | XXXX - CAN BE REPORTED FOR UP TO FOUR SIGINIFICANT DIGITS. DO NOT ENTER A VALUE OF ZERO IN THIS FIELD - IF SUCH IS THE CASE LEAVE BLANK. USE EXPONENT FIELD (COLUMNS 38-39) TO IDENTIFY THE POSITION OF THE DECIMAL POINT. UNITS MUST BE IN: PARTS PER MILLION FOR WT/WT OR VOL/VOL MICROGM/MILLILITER FOR WT/VOL MICROLITER/GRAM FOR VOL/WT MILLIGRAMS/SQ. METER FOR WT/AREA MICROCURIES/MILLILITER FOR ACTIVITY/VOL MICROCURIES/GRAM FOR ACTIVITY/WT DEG C FOR TEMPERATURE UNITLESS FOR PURE NUMBERS OR RATIOS [NOTE - WHERE APPLICABLE, CONCENTRATIONS MUST BE EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF DRY WEIGHT OF SAMPLE] | 34 | 4 |
| EXPONENT(1) | XX - TO EXPRESS POSITION OF DECIMAL POINT. SIGN (+ OR -) IS TO BE IN COLUMN 38 FOLLOWED BY THE EXPONENT VALUE IN COLUMN 39. IF EXPONENT IS ZERO, SIGN MUST BE LEFT BLANK. A ZERO EXPONENT INDICATES PARTS PER MILLION. SINCE CONCENTRATION VALUES ARE REPORTED IN PARTS PER MILLION, THE EXPONENT VALUE MUST REFLECT THE VARIANCE OF THE CONCENTRATION FROM PPM. THUS, A VALUE OF 15 PPM IS REPORTED AS 0015 0 AND 15 PPB AS 0015-3. SEE EXAMPLE 1 - 8 BELOW. | 38 | 2 |
| PARAMETER CODE(2) | NINE-CHARACTER CODE - SEE ABOVE | 40 | 9 |
| MEASUREMENT CODE(2) | ONE-CHARACTER CODE - SEE ABOVE | 49 | 1 |
| TRACE CODE(2) | ONE-CHARACTER CODE - SEE ABOVE | 50 | 1 |
| CONCENTRATION(2) | XXXX - SEE ABOVE | 51 | 4 |
| EXPONENT(2) | XX - SEE ABOVE | 55 | 2 |
| PARAMETER CODE(3) | NINE-CHARACTER CODE - SEE ABOVE | 57 | 9 |
| MEASUREMENT CODE(3) | ONE-CHARACTER CODE - SEE ABOVE | 66 | 1 |
| TRACE CODE(3) | ONE-CHARACTER CODE - SEE ABOVE | 67 | 1 |
| CONCENTRATION(3) | XXXX - SEE ABOVE | 68 | 4 |
| EXPONENT(3) | XX - SEE ABOVE | 72 | 2 |
| BLANKS | 74 | 4 | |
| SEQUENCE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 78 | 3 |
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
| BEACH TAR RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'G' - THIS RECORD IS USED TO REPORT BEACH CHARACTERISTICS AND OTHER SUPPORTING INFORMATION FOR RELATED TAR SAMPLES REPORTED IN RECORD 'F' | 10 | 1 |
| STATION NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 11 | 5 |
| SAMPLE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'E' | 16 | 3 |
| BLANK | 19 | 1 | |
| TIME OF LOW TIDE (GMT) | XXXX - HOURS AND MINUTES | 20 | 4 |
| DISTANCE BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW TIDE | XXX - HORIZONTAL DISTANCE (METERS) | 24 | 3 |
| WATERLINE TO END OF SAMPLING DISTANCE | XXX - HORIZONTAL DISTANCE INLAND BETWEEN WATERLINE AND END OF SAMPLING- DISTANCE (METERS) | 27 | 3 |
| LENGTH OF SHOREFRONT | XXX - LENGTH OF SAMPLE AREA ALONG SHORE IN METERS | 30 | 3 |
| AREA SAMPLED | XXXXX - SAMPLE AREA [SQUARE METERS] **NOTE - EITHER WATERLINE DISTANCE AND LENGTH OF SHOREFRONT OR AREA SAMPLED MUST BE REPORTED TO PERMIT CONCENTRATION OF BEACH TAR TO BE CALCULATED. | 33 | 5 |
| BEACH STATUS | ONE-CHARACTER CODE USED TO DESCRIBE GENERAL STATUS OF SAMPLE SITE - USE NODC CODE 0398 | 38 | 1 |
| SEASHORE SURFACE | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO DESCRIBE SAMPLE SITE SURFACE - USE NODC CODE 0281 | 39 | 1 |
| PREVAILING WIND | ONE-CHARACTER CODE TO INDICATE PREVAILING DIRECTION OF WIND AT THE SAMPLE SITE AT TIME OF COLLECTION - USE NODC CODE 0399 | 40 | 1 |
| STATION IDENTIFIER | 10-CHARACTER ORIGINATOR STATION IDENTIFIER | 41 | 10 |
| BLANKS | 51 | 27 | |
| SEQUENCE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 78 | 3 |
| PARAMETER | DESCRIPTION | STARTING COLUMN | FIELD LENGTH |
| TEXT RECORD | |||
| NODC FILE NUMBER | ALWAYS '144' | 1 | 3 |
| NODC TRACK NUMBER | 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC | 4 | 6 |
| RECORD NUMBER | ALWAYS 'T' - MAY BE USED TO COMMENT ON SURVEY OPERATIONS OR ON SPECIFIC DATA ENTRIES, ANALYTICAL METHODS, ETC AND MAY BE LOCATED ANYWHERE WITHIN A DATA SET FOLLOWING RECORD 'B' OR RECORD 'B' IF NO RECORD 'B' SUBMITTED | 10 | 1 |
| STATION NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'C' | 11 | 5 |
| SAMPLE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'E' | 16 | 3 |
| REPLICATE NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'E' | 19 | 1 |
| SPECIMEN NUMBER | SEE RECORD 'E' | 20 | 3 |
| TEXT | 55-CHARACTER FIELD FOR COMMENTS | 23 | 55 |
| SEQUENCE NUMBER | XXX - SHOULD BE NUMBERED IN ASCENDING ORDER TO BE SORTED WITHIN A DATA SET | 78 | 3 |
| Example | Description |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLE 1 | PARAMETER IS ZINC AT A CONCENTRATION OF 123 MICROGRAMS/GM (=PPM). MEASUREMENT CODE IS B (WT/WT) AND TRACE CODE FIELD IS BLANK. CODE AS S7440666_ B_ _ 123_ 0 |
| EXAMPLE 2 | PARAMETER IS A CHEMICAL COMBINATION, ETHANE + ETHYLENE, AT A CONCENTRATION OF 123 X 10**-2 NANOLITERS/LITER. THE CONCENTRATION IN PPM IS 123 X 10**-5 MICROLITERS/LITER. MEASUREMENT CODE IS D (VOL/VOL) AND TRACE CODE FIELD IS BLANK. CODE AS YEPEY_ _ _ _ D_ _ 123-5 |
| EXAMPLE 3 | PARAMETER IS STRONTIUM-90 AT AN ACTIVITY OF 1.2 X 10**-10 CURIES/ML. THE CONCENTRATION IN MICROCURIES/ML IS 1.2 X 10**-7. MEASUREMENT CODE IS E (ACT/VOL) AND TRACE CODE FIELD IS BLANK. CODE AS R10098972E_ _ _ 12-3 |
| EXAMPLE 4 | PARAMETER IS TEMPERATURE AT 12.34 DEG C. MEASUREMENT CODE IS W AND TRACE CODE FIELD IS BLANK. CODE AS WTEMP_ _ _ _ W_ 1234-2 |
| EXAMPLE 5 | PARAMETER IS TOTAL SUSPENDED MATTER AT A CONCENTRATION OF 1.23 GRAMS/L. CONCENTRATION IN MICROGRAMS/ML IS 1.23 X 10**3. MEASUREMENT CODE IS A (WT/VOL) AND TRACE CODE FIELD IS BLANK. CODE AS YTSM_ _ _ _ _ A_ _ 123+1 |
| EXAMPLE 6 | PARAMETER IS PH AT 7.8. MEASUREMENT CODE IS N (UNITLESS, PURE NUMBER) AND TRACE CODE FIELD IS BLANK. CODE AS XPH_ _ _ _ _ _ N_ _ _ 78-1 |
| EXAMPLE 7 | PARAMETER IS ANTHRACENE IN SEDIMENT AT A CONCENTRATION BELOW INSTRUMENT DETECTION. THE LIMIT OF INSTRUMENT DETECTION IS 2 PPB OR 2 X 10**-3 PPM. THE MEASUREMENT CODE IS B (WT/WT) AND THE TRACE CODE IS L (LOWER LIMIT OF METHODOLOGY). CODE AS T120127_ _ BL_ _ _ 2-3 |
| EXAMPLE 8 | PARAMETER IS DISSOLVED OXYGEN AT A TRACE CONCENTRATION ABOVE OR NEAR THE LEVEL OF INSTRUMENT DETECTION BUT NOT QUANTIFIABLE. MEASUREMENT CODE FIELD IS BLANK AND TRACE CODE IS T (TRACE AMOUNT). CONCENTRATION IS BLANK. CODE AS YDO_ _ _ _ _ _ _ T_ _ _ _ _ _ |
| CODE NUMBER | CODE NAME |
|---|---|
| 0037 | MATERIAL ANALYZED |
| 0077 | BOTTOM TYPE |
| 0093 | SPHERE |
| 0100 | PLATFORM TYPE |
| 0101 | SEX |
| 0109 | SEA STATE (WMO 3700) |
| 0110 | WIND-WAVE DIRECTION |
| 0117 | DECISION |
| 0148 | LIFE HISTORY |
| 0154 | TIDE STAGE |
| 0210 | SAMPLE TYPE |
| 0281 | SEDIMENT SIZE |
| 0314 | TOW TYPE |
| 0346 | DISCHARGE DESCRIPTION |
| 0347 | WET/DRY PERIOD |
| 0348 | SIGN CODE |
| 0350 | CHEMICAL ANALYSIS |
| 0351 | BIOLOGICAL NICHE |
| 0362 | WAVE HEIGHT |
| 0375 | INDUSTRY CODE |
| 0376 | GEAR TYPE |
| 0377 | MEASUREMENT CODE |
| 0379 | TRACE CODE |
| 0398 | BEACH STATUS |
| 0399 | PREVAILING WIND |
| -- | NODC TAXONOMIC CODE |
| -- | NODC CHEMISTRY CODE |