Standardized Fields and Units

Below is a table of the standard field names and associated units for use in submitting data to the SeaBASS bio-optical archive. The field names are not case sensitive. Use the search bar or the find function in your browser to search the table for words or patterns found in the field names, units or descriptions. Please contact SeaBASS staff if you want to discuss adding new fields.

 

Special notes regarding wavelength-specific measurements: There are two different ways to indicate wavelengths (nm) in a SeaBASS file. If metadata such as date, location, or depth vary within the data, then append the wavelength number to the field name for every measurement combination. For example, downwelling irradiance ('Ed') measured at 412.3 nm is 'Ed412.3' (listed as separate columns alongside other Ed measurements, like Ed416.2, Ed419, etc.) Alternately, if date, location, and depth are assumed to be approximately constant for all measurements in the file, then use the field 'wavelength' to provide a column of the measured wavelengths and don't include them as part of the field names (this pivoted layout is commonly used for reporting spectrophotometric measurements or other measurements that use the data_type=scan keyword).

 

Two additional tables are provided below (Field Name Suffixes & Modifiers). The reusable naming conventions in those tables are used to create new field names without having to add dozens or hundreds of variations to the Table of Field Names and Units. For example, "_sd" (for standard deviation) appears in the table of suffixes and may be appended to any existing SeaBASS field name (e.g., "chl_sd" or "Rrs510_sd".) Similarly, field-specific names can be created ad infinitum using _bincount (i.e., number of averaged samples), and _quality. The table of modifiers allows extra information to be part of field names, typically to indicate versions of measurements that are either more specific or modified. For example, modifiers are used to denote size-fractionated measurements (see _#umfilt and _#umprefilt), specific excitation or emission wavelengths, or polarized measurements. Field names may be constructing by combing entries from multiple tables, with any applicable wavelength first, followed by "Modifiers", followed by a "Suffix".

 

Notes on HPLC pigment field names



Table of Contents


Table of Field Names and Units

 
 
  

 ​

Field name Units Description
aa_alanine nmol/L alanine amino acid concentration
aa_arginine nmol/L arginine amino acid concentration
aa_aspartic_acid nmol/L aspartic acid amino acid concentration
aa_beta-alanine nmol/L beta-alanine amino acid concentration
aa_gamma_amino_butyric_acid nmol/L gamma_amino_butyric_acid amino acid concentration
aa_glutamic_acid nmol/L glutamic_acid amino acid concentration
aa_glycine nmol/L glycine amino acid concentration
aa_histidine nmol/L histidine amino acid concentration
aa_isoleucine nmol/L isoleucine amino acid concentration
aa_leucine nmol/L leucine amino acid concentration
aa_lysine nmol/L lysine amino acid concentration
aa_methionine nmol/L methionine amino acid concentration
aa_phenylalanine nmol/L phenylalanine amino acid concentration
aa_serine nmol/L serine amino acid concentration
aa_taurine nmol/L taurine amino acid concentration
aa_threonine nmol/L threonine amino acid concentration
aa_tyrosine nmol/L tyrosine amino acid concentration
aa_valine nmol/L valine amino acid concentration
a 1/m Total absorption coefficient (aw + ap + ag)
a*ph m^2/mg Chlorophyll a specific absorption coefficient
a*srfa m^2/mg Specific absorption coefficient of Suwanee River Fulvic Acid standard
aaer 1/m Absorption coefficient of atmospheric aerosols
abs unitless Absorbance
abs* m^2/mg Carbon specific absorbance
abs_ad unitless Absorbance (Optical Density) of non-algal detritus
abs_ag unitless Absorbance (Optical Density) of Gelbstoff
abs_ap unitless Absorbance (Optical Density) of particles (ad + aph)
abs_blank_ad unitless Absorbance of a blank (or unused) filter pad for non-algal detritus.
abs_blank_ag unitless Absorbance of a blank (or unused) filter pad for Gelbstoff.
abs_blank_ap unitless Absorbance of a blank (or unused) filter pad for particles.
abs_nacl unitless Absorbance of NaCl solution (use with the _###ppt suffix)
abs_zero unitless Absorbance of air (no sample) collected after the baseline but before the formal "blank" scans. Data should be spectrally flat about zero.
abundance none Number of cells observed
abun cells/L Concentration of cells observed
abun_bacterioplankton cells/L Abundance concentration of bacterioplankton
abun_phyto cells/L   Abundance concentration of phytoplankton
abun_zoop organisms/L Abundance concentration of zooplankton
ad 1/m Absorption coefficient of non-algal detritus or particles (NAP)
ad_model 1/m Absorption coefficient of non-algal detritus or particles (NAP) that has been exponentially fit or smoothed
ad_unc 1/m Accumulated estimate of standard uncertainty associated with the derivation of the absorption coefficient of non-algal detritus (ad) via error propagation through the absorption equation. See section 5.3.4 of IOCCG's "Volume 1: Inherent Optical Property Measurements and Protocols: Absorption Coefficient" (2018).
adg 1/m Absorption coefficient of non-algal detritus + Gelbstoff (ad + ag)
ag 1/m Absorption coefficient of Gelbstoff
ag_model 1/m Absorption coefficient of gelbstoff (i.e., CDOM) that has been exponentially fitted or smoothed
agp 1/m Absorption coefficient of Gelbstoff + particles (ag + ap)
asrfa 1/m Absorption coefficient of Suwanee River Fulvic Acid standard
Allo mg/m^3 HPLC Alloxanthin
alpha-beta-Car mg/m^3 HPLC Alpha (Beta,epsilon) + Beta (Beta,beta) Carotenes
altitude m Altitude above sea level
amplitude  unitless  Amplitude use during calibration of oxygen sensors
AMC umol Concentration of 7-Amino-4-methylcoumarin's fluorescent molecules without an associated substrate (used for the calibration curve in flow cytometry).
AMC-Leu umol/L/hr Rate of substrate cleavage for L-Leucine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin hydrochloride
angstrom unitless Angstrom exponent
Anth mg/m^3 HPLC Antheraxanthin
AOT unitless Aerosol Optical Thickness (sometimes referred to as tau or taua)
AOU_kg mL/L Apparent Oxygen Utilization
AOU umol/kg Apparent Oxygen Utilization
ap 1/m Absorption coefficient of particles (ad + aph)
ap_unc 1/m Accumulated estimate of standard uncertainty associated with the derivation of the absorption coefficient of particles (ap) via error propagation through the absorption equation. See section 5.3.4 of IOCCG's "Volume 1: Inherent Optical Property Measurements and Protocols: Absorption Coefficient" (2018).
aph 1/m Absorption coefficient of phytoplankton
aph_model 1/m Absorption coefficient of phytoplankton that has been exponentially fit or smoothed
aph_unc 1/m Accumulated estimate of standard uncertainty associated with the derivation of the absorption coefficient of phytoplankton (aph) via error propagation through the absorption equation. See section 5.3.4 of IOCCG's " Volume 1: Inherent Optical Property Measurements and Protocols: Absorption Coefficient" (2018).
area_cross_section um^2 Cross-sectional area of the target detected within the ROI determined by means specified in the image processing method or protocol document.
area_based_diameter um Area-based diameter of the target detected within the ROI determined by means specified in the image processing method or protocol document.
Ar_amps amps Peak intensity of Argon (Ar) measured using EIMS
associatedMedia none A unique persistent identifier of the media associated with the occurrence. The field provides the unique imagery file name corresponding to the source of the ROI or a URL pointing to a permanent landing page for the ROI image.
associated_files none File name of an associated file. Must be used with associated_file_type. Please include the file suffix in the entry. If multiple entries are applicable, separate them with the pipe character: | To be used with field: associated_file_type If individual files are referenced but are part of a TAR archive bundle, be sure to use the associated_archives and associated_archive_types headers.
associated_file_types none File type of an associated file. Please contact SeaBASS staff before using this field to verify that your file type is supported. Valid entries for this field are: DNA-FASTQ, DNA-FASTA (for files relating to DNA analysis), BENTHIC (for images relating to benthic type and cover), metadata_sediment_trap (for additional trap informations such as coordinates or ancillary data), imaging_UVP (for UVP imagery and ancillary data),imaging_flowcam (for Flow Cam imagery and ancillary data), imaging_epifluorescence (for imagery collected with epifluorescence microscopy), and imaging_microscopy (for any images collected using traditional microscopy). If multiple entries are applicable, separate them with the pipe character: | To be used with field: associated_files
Asta mg/m^3 HPLC Astaxanthin
At degreesC Air temperature
aw 1/m Absorption coefficient of water
A578_A434 none Ratio of absorbance of seawater using dyes 578 and 434
b 1/m Total scattering coefficient (bw + bp)
Ba_138_134_d_delta per_mil Total Ba-isotopic composition
bactP pmol/L/hr    Bacterioplankton production
bb 1/m Total backscattering coefficient (bbw + bbp)
bb_counts counts Uncalibrated total backscattering coefficient (bbw + bbp)
bbp 1/m Backscattering coefficient of particles
bbp_bp unitless Ratio of the backscattering coefficient of particles (bbp) to the total backscattering coefficient (bp)
bbp_gamma unitless Backscattering coefficient of particles spectral slope (the exponent of the power-law fit)
bbw 1/m Backscattering coefficient of water
BChl_a mg/m^3 HPLC Bacteriochlorophyll a
benthic_type none Description of the benthic seafloor community or substrate.
beta-beta-Car mg/m^3 HPLC Beta-Carotene (Beta,beta-Carotene)
beta-epi-Car mg/m^3 HPLC Alpha-Carotene (Beta,epsilon-Carotene)
beta-psi-Car mg/m^3 HPLC Gamma-Carotene (Beta,psi-Carotene)
bin_depth um Nominal or center depth for each data bin
bin_diameter_center um size bin limit for particle size distribution measurements (e.g. for coulter counter)
bin_diameter_lower um size bin limit for particle size distribution measurements (e.g. for coulter counter)
bin_diameter_upper um size bin limit for particle size distribution measurements (e.g. for coulter counter)
bincount none Number of records averaged into a bin or reported measurement
biomass_microzoop mg/m^3 Microzooplankton biomass
biotic_setting none Biotic Setting, Biotic Component, level 1 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
biotic_class none Biotic Class, Biotic Component, level 2 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
biotic_subclass none Biotic Subclass, Biotic Component, level 3 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
biotic_group none Biotic Group, Biotic Component, level 4 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
biotic_community none Biotic Community, Biotic Component, level 5 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
biovolume um^3 Biovolume for the target detected within the ROI determined by means specified in the biovolume calculation method or protocol document.
biovol_bacterioplankton um^3/cell Mean (estimated) volume per bacterial cell.
bottle none Number used to identify a specific bottle within an array of bottle samples collected
bp 1/m Scattering coefficient of particles
BSi mmol/m^3 Biogenic silica
But-fuco mg/m^3 HPLC 19'-Butanoyloxyfucoxanthin
bw 1/m Scattering coefficient of water
c 1/m Beam attenuation coefficient
C2H3N_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (C2H3N)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
C2H4O_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (C2H4O)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
C2H6S_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (C2H6S)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
C3H6O_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (C3H6O)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
C5H8_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (C5H8)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
C6H6_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (C6H6)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
Cantha mg/m^3 HPLC Canthaxanthin
cdmf volts CDOM fluorescence (may be used in combination with suffixes _ex### and/or _em###, like so: cdmf_ex###_em###; ex = excitation wavelength; em = emission wavelength)
cast none Cast id or number
cdmf_counts counts CDOM fluorescence (see "cdmf") expressed in units of counts
cdom mg/m^3 Concentration of chromophoric dissolved organic matter
cdomf ppb calibrated CDOM fluorescence measurements expressed in ppb QSE (CDOM fluorescence may be used in combination with suffixes _ex### and/or _em###, like so: cdomf_ex###_em###; ex = excitation wavelength; em = emission wavelength)
cg 1/m Attenuation coefficient of Gelbstoff
cgp 1/m Attenuation coefficient of Gelbstoff + particles (c - cw = agp + bp)
CH4O_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (CH4O)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
CH4S_H ppbv VOCC concentrations of (CH4S)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
Chl mg/m^3 Chlorophyll a derived fluorometrically/spectrophotometrically (e.g., "extracted" Chl)
Chl_experiment mg/m^3 Chlorophyll a derived via experiment, or experimental methods. See specific documentation for more information.
Chl_lineheight mg/m^3 Chlorophyll a derived using particulate absorption line height method
Chl_stimf mg/m^3   Chlorophyll a derived from a calibrated in situ fluorometer
Chl_a mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll a (MV_Chl_a plus allomers and epimers)
Chl_a_allom mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll a allomers
Chl_a_prime mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll a epimer
Chl_b mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll b
Chl_c mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll c
Chl_c1 mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll c1
Chl_c1c2 mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll c1 + c2 + Mg_DVP
Chl_c2 mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll c2
Chl_c3 mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyll c3
Chlide_a mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyllide a
Chlide_b mg/m^3 HPLC Chlorophyllide b
chors_id none CHORS HPLC processing identification number
cloud % Percent cloud cover
cnw 1/m Attenuation coefficient of Gelbstoff + particles (obsolete; see cgp)
CO2_amps amps Peak intensity of CO2 measured using EIMS
conc_Ba_total nmol/L Total concentration of Barium
conc_particles particles/L Concentration in particles per liter
conc_Pb_210 dpm/L Concentration of Lead 210
conc_Po_210 dpm/L Concentration of Polonium 210
conc_Th_234 dpm/L Concentration of Thorium 234
conc_U_238 dpm/L Concentration of Uranium 238
cond mmho/cm Conductivity
cp 1/m Beam attenuation coefficient of particles (ap + bp)
cp_gamma unitless Particulate beam attenuation spectral slope (the exponent of the power-law fit)
cp_gamma_RMSE unitless Root mean squared error (RMSE) evaluation of the goodness of fit of cp_gamma (spectral slope)
Croco mg/m^3 HPLC Crocoxanthin
cycle none Incrementing counter describing the sampling interval of the instrument. Relevant to the PTR-TOF/MS.
cw 1/m Beam attenuation coefficient of water (aw + bw)
data_provider_category_automated none A category used by the data provider to name the organism or particle for an automated classification, not necessarily a scientific name (e.g., pennate or detritus).
data_provider_category_manual none A category used by the data provider to name the organism or particle for a manual identification, not necessarily a scientific name.
date yyyymmdd Sample date
date_end yyyymmdd Date sampling stopped (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps; also see "time_end")
date_processed yyyymmdd Date the sample was processed
date_recovery yyyymmdd Date instrumentation was recovered from the field (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps; also see "time_recovery")
date_resurface yyyymmdd Date instrumentation resurfaced from a submerged deployment (e.g., used for non-buoyant sediment traps)
date_start yyyymmdd Date sampling began (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps; also see "time_start")
day dd Sample day
DCAA nM Dissolved combined amino acid concentration
depth m Depth of measurement
dewpoint degreesC Dew point temperature
Diadchr mg/m^3 HPLC Diadinochrome
Diadino mg/m^3 HPLC Diadinoxanthin
Diato mg/m^3 HPLC Diatoxanthin
DIC umol/kg Dissolved inorganic carbon (per kg)
DIC_L umol/L Dissolved inorganic carbon (per L, preferred units for satellite val)
Dino mg/m^3 HPLC Dinoxanthin
DMSA ppt Concentration of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the atmosphere
DMSSW nmol/L Concentration of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in sea water
DNA mg/m^3 DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) concentration within a water volume
DOC umol/kg Dissolved organic carbon (per kg)
DOC_L umol/L Dissolved organic carbon (per L; preferred units for validation)
DP mg/m^3 Total diagnostic pigments (PSC + Allo + Zea + Tot_Chl_b)
DV_Chl_a mg/m^3 HPLC Divinyl Chorophyll a
DV_Chl_b mg/m^3 HPLC Divinyl Chorophyll b
Echin mg/m^3 HPLC Echinenone
Ed uW/cm^2/nm Downwelling irradiance (planar measurements only, for scalar measurements use scalar fields)
EdGND volts Dark current values for Ed sensor
elapsed_time seconds Elapsed time
Elw uW/cm^2 Downwelling irradiance over the infrared spectrum, 3 to 40 um
Epar uE/cm^2/s Profiled PAR (planar measurements only, for scalar measurements use scalar fields)
epi-epi-Car mg/m^3 HPLC Epsilon-Carotene (Epsilon,epsilon-Carotene)
equivalent_spherical_diameter um Equivalent spherical diameter of the target detected within the ROI determined by means specified in the image processing method or protocol document.
Es uW/cm^2/nm Downwelling surface irradiance (planar measurements only, for scalar measurements use scalar fields)
EsGND volts Dark current values for Es sensor
Esky uW/cm^2/nm Downwelling sky irradiance
Esun uW/cm^2/nm Downwelling sun irradiance (direct normal solar irradiance)
Esw uW/cm^2 Downwelling irradiance over the solar spectrum, 0.3 to 3 um
Et-8-carot mg/m^3 HPLC Ethyl-apo-8'-carotene
Et-chlide_a mg/m^3 HPLC Ethyl Chlorophyllide a
Et-chlide_b mg/m^3 HPLC Ethyl Chlorophyllide b
Eu uW/cm^2/nm Upwelling irradiance
EuGND volts Dark current values for Eu sensor
EuPAR uE/cm^2/s Profiled upwelling PAR (planar measurements only, for scalar measurements use scalar fields)
E_scalar uW/cm^2/nm Scalar irradiance
Ed_scalar uW/cm^2/nm Downwelling scalar irradiance
Eu_scalar uW/cm^2/nm Upwelling scalar irradiance
EPAR_scalar uE/cm^2/s Scalar PAR irradiance
EdPAR_scalar uE/cm^2/s Downwelling scalar PAR irradiance
EuPAR_scalar uE/cm^2/s Upwelling scalar PAR irradiance
exp_id none Differentiates between subunits of BCO-DMO projects
F0 uW/cm^2/nm Extraterrestrial solar irradiance
F-initial unitless Minimum fluorescence in darkness. Fast Repetition Rate Fluorescence measurement, commonly abbreviated as F0
Fm unitless Maximum fluorescence in darkness. Fast Repetition Rate Fluorescence measurement
Fv_Fm unitless Maximum photochemical efficiency. Fast Repetition Rate Fluorescence measurement, commonly abbreviated as Fv/Fm
fecalpellet_production_carbon_carbonweight mg/mg/hr Zooplankton fecal pellet production in Carbon (carbon weight)
fecalpellet_production_carbon_dryweight mg/mg/hr Zooplankton fecal pellet production in Carbon (dry weight)
flux_sampling_method none

Flux_sampling_method must be included to characterize flux measurements in a SeaBASS file, along with flux_submethod, flux_calibration_method, and flux_sinking_speed_method. Text values are restricted to the following list:

  1. direct_trap
  2. optical_trap
  3. radiotracer
  4. large_particles
flux_submethod none

Flux_submethod must be included to characterize flux measurements in a SeaBASS file, along with flux_sampling_method, flux_calibration_method, and flux_sinking_speed_method. Text values are restricted to the following list:

  1. none
  2. NBST (i.e., Neutrally buoyant sediment trap)
  3. STT (i.e., Surface tethered traps/sediment trap array)
  4. transmissometer
  5. SnoCam (i.e., Omand’s sediment trap camera)
  6. Th_234
  7. Po_210
  8. LVP (i.e., Large volume pumps)
  9. UVP (i.e., Underwater vision profiler)
  10. MOCNESS
  11. gel_trap
flux_calibration_method none

Flux_calibration_method must be included to characterize flux measurements in a SeaBASS file (if relevant, otherwise set to missing value), along with flux_sampling_method, flux_submethod, and flux_sinking_speed_method. Text values are restricted to the following list:

  1. none
  2. direct_trap
  3. empirical
  4. theoretical
  5. LVP (i.e., Large volume pumps)
flux_sinking_speed_method none

Flux_sinking_speed_method must be included to characterize flux measurements in a SeaBASS file (if relevant, otherwise set to missing value), along with flux_sampling_method, flux_submethod, and flux_calibration_method. Text values are restricted to the following list:

  1. experimental
  2. theoretical
  3. inversion
flux_ATN m^2_m^-2_d^-1 Rate of increase of accumulated particles' attenuance (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_Ba mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of barium (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_bSi mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of biogenic silica (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_mass mg_m^-2_d^-1 Total dry mass flux of particulate matter (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_particles particles/m^2/d Flux of particles (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.).
flux_P mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of total phosophorus (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_Pb_210 dpm_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of lead 210 (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_PC mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of Particulate Carbon (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_PC_ATN mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of Particulate Carbon based on empirical calibration with flux_ATN (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_PIC mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of Particulate Inorganic Carbon (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_POC mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of Particulate Organic Carbon (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_Po_210 dpm_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of polonium 210 (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_PN mmol_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of Particulate Nitrogen (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
flux_Th_234 dpm_m^-2_d^-1 Flux of Thorium 234 (characterize methods with flux_sampling_method, etc.)
FL-A arbunits Area of the signal of emission by fluorescence (flow cytometry). May be used with _ex###_em### field modifiers.
FL-H arbunits Height of the signal of emission by fluorescence (flow cytometry). May be used with _ex###_em### field modifiers.
FSC-A arbunits Area of the signal of light scattered in the forward direction from the laser interrogating particles (flow cytometry).
FSC-H arbunits Height of the signal of light scattered in the forward direction from the laser interrogating particles (flow cytometry).
FSCpar-H arbunits Height of the signal of light that has been aligned parallel to the original polarization of the laser interrogating particles (flow cytometry).
FSCperp-H arbunits Height of the signal of light that has been depolarized from the original polarization of the laser interrogating particles (flow cytometry).
Fuco mg/m^3 HPLC Fucoxanthin
g d^-1 Grazing Rate
g_herb d^-1 Herbivorous Grazing Rate (i.e., Herbivore Induced Mortality)
geoform_tectonic_setting none Geoform Component Tectonic Subcomponent (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
geoform_physiographic_setting none Geoform Component Physiographic Setting Subcomponent (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
geoform_origin none Geoform origin (CMECS Units, Geoform Subcomponent, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
geoform none Geoform (CMECS Units, Geoform Subcomponent, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
geoform_type none Geoform type (CMECS Units, Geoform Subcomponent, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
GPP mg/m^3/d Gross Primary Productivity
Gyro mg/m^3 HPLC Gyroxanthin-Diester
H2O_amps amps Peak intensity of H2O measured using EIMS
heading degrees platform's heading (e.g., ship's), in degrees
Hex-fuco mg/m^3 HPLC 19'-Hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin
Hex-kfuco mg/m^3 HPLC 19'-Hexanoyloxy-4-ketofucoxanthin
hour hh Sample hour
hpl_id none HPL HPLC processing identification number
hplc_gsfc_id none NASA GSFC HPLC processing idenfication number (i.e. 'GSFC HPLC lab sampler code')
incubation_duration hh Incubation time
iso_C2H3N_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (13C2H3N)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
iso_C2H4O_H ppbv VOCC concentration of d3-acetaldehyde (C2HD3O)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
iso_C2H6S_H ppbv VOCC concentration of d3-dimethylsulfide (C2D3H3S)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
iso_C3H6O_H ppbv VOCC concentration of d6-acetone (C3D6O)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
iso_CH4O_H ppbv VOCC concentration of (13CH4O)H+ in the air evolved from the experimental chambers that are measured by the PTR-TOF/MS. Use with headers /chemical_formula= and /mass_to_charge=.
It degreesC Instrument temperature
Kd 1/m Diffuse attenuation coefficient of Ed
Kl 1/m Diffuse attenuation coefficient of Lu
Knf 1/m Diffuse attenuation coefficient of natf
Kpar 1/m Diffuse attenuation coefficient of PAR
Ku 1/m Diffuse attenuation coefficient of Eu
lat degrees Sample latitude (decimal fractions; -90 to 90)
lat_end degrees Latitude where sampling ended (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for drifting sediment traps)
lat_recovery degrees Latitude where instrumentation was recovered from the field (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps)
lat_resurface degrees Latitude where instrumentation resurfaced from a submerged deployment (e.g., used for non-buoyant sediment traps)   
lat_start degrees Latitude where sampling started (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for drifting sediment traps)
length_representation um Representation of length of the target detected within the ROI or largest mesh size for which the target could be retained, determined by means specified in the image processing method or protocol document.
lightlevel % Light sample was exposed to, relative to the ambient or experimental intensity
lon degrees Sample longitude (decimal fractions; -180 to 180)
lon_end degrees Longitude where sampling ended (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for drifting sediment traps)
lon_recovery degrees Longitude where instrumentation was recovered from the field (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps)
lon_resurface degrees Longitude where instrumentation resurfaced from a submerged deployment (e.g., used for non-buoyant sediment traps)   
lon_start degrees Longitude where sampling started (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for drifting sediment traps)
LSi mmol/m^3 Lithogenic silica
Lsky uW/cm^2/nm/sr Sky radiance
Lt uW/cm^2/nm/sr Total water radiance
Lu uW/cm^2/nm/sr Upwelling radiance
LuGND volts Dark current values for Lu sensor
Lut mg/m^3 HPLC Lutein
Lw uW/cm^2/nm/sr Water leaving radiance
Lw_unc uW/cm^2/nm/sr Accumulated estimate of standard uncertainty associated with the derivation of water leaving radiance (Lw) via error propagation through the air-water interface.
Lwn uW/cm^2/nm/sr Normalized water leaving radiance (Lwn = Lw*F0/Es)
Lwnex uW/cm^2/nm/sr Exact normalized water leaving radiance ( e.g., Morel et al. 2002 )
Lyco mg/m^3 HPLC Lycopene
Me-chlide_a mg/m^3 HPLC Methyl Chlorophyllide a
Me-chlide_b mg/m^3 HPLC Methyl Chlorophyllide b
Mg_DVP mg/m^3 HPLC Mg 2,4 divinyl pheoporphyrin a5 monomethyl ester
minute mn Sample minute
Monado mg/m^3 HPLC Monadoxanthin
month mo Sample month
mPF none Microplankton proportion factor ([Fuco + Perid] / DP)
MSV mm^3/L Marine Snow Volume per unit volume of seawater
MUF umol Concentration of 4-Methylumbelliferone's fluorescent molecules without an associated substrate (used for the calibration curve in flow cytometry).
MUF-But umol/L/hr Rate of substrate cleavage for 4-Methylumbelliferyl butyrate
MUF-Glu umol/L/hr Rate of substrate cleavage for 4-Methylumbelliferyl beta-D-glucopyranoside
MUF-PO4 umol/L/hr Rate of substrate cleavage for 4-Methylumbelliferyl phosphate
MV_Chl_a mg/m^3 HPLC Monovinyl Chorophyll a
MV_Chl_b mg/m^3 HPLC Monovinyl Chorophyll b
mz unitless Mass-to-charge ratio, used to describe proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF/MS) measurements
N2avg s^-2 The mean squared buoyancy frequency (Brunt–Väisälä frequency) between the surface and measurement depth
N2_amps amps Peak intensity of N2 measured using EIMS
N2_Ar_ratio unitless Ratio between N2 and Argon (Ar) peak intensities measured using EIMS
N2_O2_ratio unitless Ratio between N2 and O2 peak intensities measured using EIMS
N2_fix ug/m^3/d Nitrogen Fixation Rates
nadir degrees Sensor nadir angle (the nadir is the downward facing viewing geometry, opposite the zenith)
nanoeukaryote (see Field Name Suffixes table) Phytoplankton taxonomic label for nanoeukaryote. Use in combination with the supported suffixes in the Field Name Suffixes Table.
natf nE/m^2/sr/s natural fluorescence of chlorophyll a
Neo mg/m^3 HPLC Neoxanthin
net_interval m net tow distance traveled
net_split unitless

Correction factor used for MOCNESS or other net systems that represents the proportion of the net tow that was analyzed. Typically, a fraction of the tow in decimal format. For example, if only one fourth of the net sample was imaged by a ZooSCAN the correction factor would be 0.25. Alternatively, if all of the sample was analyzed, for example if the entirety of the net sample was measured for dry mass, the correction factor would be 1. Field is required for ZooSCAN datasets. 

NCCb mmol/m^2/d Net Benthic Community Calcification, expressed as the millimole production of CaCO3 per benthic area per day
NCPb mmol/m^2/d Net Benthic Community Productivity, expressed as the millimole production of O2 per benthic area per day
NCP_O2_Ar_ratio_continuous mmol/m^2/d Net Community Productivity, expressed as the millimole production of O2 per area per day and calculated using the O2/Ar ratio from the ship’s flow-through seawater line by Equilibrator Inlet Mass Spectrometry (EIMS)
NH4 mmol/m^3 NH4
NO2 mmol/m^3 Nitrite
NO2_NO3 mmol/m^3 NO2 + NO3
no2ot unitless NO2 Optical Depth or NO2 Optical Thickness
NO3 mmol/m^3 Nitrate
nPF none Nanoplankton proportion factor ([Hex-fuco + But-fuco + Allo] / DP)
NPP mg/m^3/d Net Primary Productivity
nrb photoelectrons/usec/shot Normalized relative backscatter
O2_amps amps Peak intensity of O2 measured using EIMS
O2_Ar_ratio unitless Ratio between O2 and Argon (Ar) peak intensities measured using EIMS
o3ot unitless Ozone Optical Thickness or Ozone Optical Depth
oxygen ml/L Dissolved oxygen
oxygen_kg umol/kg Dissolved oxygen
oxygen_consumption_temcorr uL/h Oxygen consumption at the temperature that the organisms would have been at (temperature corrected)
oxygen_saturation % Percent oxygen saturation
oxygen_phase degrees Oxygen phase
Oz dobson Column Ozone
P-457 mg/m^3 HPLC P-457
PAR uE/cm^2/s PAR measured at the sea surface
Phycocyanin mg/m^3 Phycocyanin derived fluorometrically/spectrophotometrically
PC mmol/m^3 Concentration of Particulate Carbon
pCO2 uatm Surface water partial pressure of carbon dioxide
Perid mg/m^3 HPLC Peridinin
pDrift mbar Pressure in the drift tube of the PTR-TOF/MS.
pH none pH
PHAEO mg/m^3 Total phaeopigment concentration
Phide_a mg/m^3 HPLC Pheophorbide a
Phide_b mg/m^3 HPLC Pheophorbide b
Phide_c mg/m^3 HPLC Pheophorbide c
Phytin_a mg/m^3 HPLC Pheophytin a
Phytin_b mg/m^3 HPLC Pheophytin b
Phytin_c mg/m^3 HPLC Pheophytin c
Phytyl-chl_c mg/m^3 HPLC Phytylated Chlorophyll c
phyto_carbon ug/L Phytoplankton carbon concentration
PIC mol/m^3 Particulate inorganic carbon
PIM mg/L Suspended particulate inorganic matter
picoeukaryote (see Field Name Suffixes table) Phytoplankton taxonomic label for picoeukaryote. Use in combination with the supported Field Name Suffixes Table.
piston_velocity m/d Weighted piston velocity
pitch degrees Instrument pitch
pitch_Ed degrees Downwelling irradiance instrument pitch
pitch_Lu degrees Upwelling radiance instrument pitch
pitch_Es degrees Downwelling surface irradiance instrument pitch
PN mg/m^3 Particulate nitrogen
PN_mmol mmol/m^3 Particulate nitrogen
PO4 mmol/m^3 Phosphate
POC mg/m^3 Particulate organic carbon
POC_cp mg/m^3 Particulate organic carbon derived using particulate beam attenuation
POH mg/m^3 Particulate organic hydrogen
POM mg/L Suspended particulate organic matter
PON mg/m^3 Particulate organic nitrogen
PP mgC/mgchla/hr Primary productivity
PPC mg/m^3 Photoprotective carotenoids (Allo + Diadino + Diato + Zeo + alpha-beta-Car)
PPC_Tcar none Ratio of PPC to Tcar
PPC_Tpg none Ratio of PPC to Tpg
pPF none Picoplankton proportion factor ([Zea + Tot_chl_b] / DP)
PTP mmol/m^3 Concentration of total particulate phosphorus
Pras mg/m^3 HPLC Prasinoxanthin
pressure dbar Water pressure
pressure_atm mbar Atmospheric pressure
pressure_instrument mbar Pressure within the instrument
prochlorococcus (see Field Name Suffixes table) Phytoplankton taxonomic label for prochlorococcus. Use in combination with the supported Field Name Suffixes listed in the above table, relating to taxonomic types.
profile none Profile id or number. Positive values are used for upward profiles, and negative values for downward profiles.
PSC mg/m^3 Photosynthetic carotenoids (But-fuco + Fuco + Hex-fuco + Perid)
PSC_Tcar none Ratio of PSC to Tcar
PSD uL/L Particle Size Distribution. Must be used in conjunction with a suffix to specify sizes, e.g., PSD_80.5size (see _###size in table of field name modifiers.)
PSD_DNSD number/m^3/um Differential number size distribution. Must be used in conjunction with a suffix to specify sizes, e.g., PSD_DNSD_80.5umsize (see _###umsize in table of field name modifiers).  Dataset should include the /PSD_bin_size_method and /PSD_bin_size_boundaries metadata headers.
PSD_DVSD uL/m^3/um Differential volume size distribution. Must be used in conjunction with a suffix to specify sizes, e.g., PSD_DVSD_80.5umsize (see _###umsize in table of field name modifiers).  Dataset should include the /PSD_bin_size_method and /PSD_bin_size_boundaries metadata headers.
PSP mg/m^3 Photosynthetic pigments (PSC + Tchl)
PSP_Tpg none Ratio of PSP to Tpg
pulse_width seconds Time duration that the primary trigger channel exceeded the width measurement threshold during an event (flow cytometry). Scientific notation is accepted.
pvel m/s Profiler velocity
Pyrophide_a mg/m^3 HPLC Pyropheophorbide a
Pyrophytin_a mg/m^3 HPLC Pyropheophytin a
Pyrophytin_b mg/m^3 HPLC Pyropheophytin b
Pyrophytin_c mg/m^3 HPLC Pyropheophytin c
Q sr Eu / Lu (equal to pi in diffuse water)
quality none Analyst-specific data quality flag. A definition of the quality flags should be provided as metadata header comments and within accompanying documentation files.
RNA mg/m^3 RNA (Ribonucleid Acid) concentration within a water volume
R unitless Irradiance reflectance (Eu / Ed)
R2R_Event none Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R) Unique sample event number
ratio unitless Used for specific ratios. Please contact SeaBASS before using it.
rate_diff_02_dark_incub mmol/m^3/d

O2 drawdown rate

rate_diff_O2_corrcoef none O2 drawdown rate correlation coefficient
rate_diff_C_dark_incub mmol/m^3/d

C drawdown rate

rate_13C_uptake_bottle mol/L/d,mol_L^-1_d^-1 Primary productivity determined using 13C. This field should inclute the experiment time (incubation time) "_###hr".
rate_15N_uptake_bottle mol/L/d,mol_L^-1_d^-1 Rates of nitrogen uptake. This field should inclute the experiment time (incubation time) "_###hr".
rate_nitrification nmol/L/d Nitrification rate
rate_production_DOC_inc mg/mg_body_C/d Mass specific (calculated as mg dry mass carbon per individual) excreted dissolved organic carbon per day
rate_respiration_carbon_zoop mg/m^2/d Zooplankton raspiration rates in mg of Carbon/m^2/d
rate_respiration_O2_ind umol/ind/h Oxygen consumption rate per organism calculated as the change in oxygen concentration (umol O2 per individual per hour)

rate_respiration_C_ind

mg/mg_body_C/d Oxygen consumption rate per organism calculated as the change in carbon concentration (in mg body C assuming 40% zooplankton dry weight was carbon)
Rb unitless Benthic irradiance reflectance (Lambertian equivalence reflectance)
RelAbundance % Percent cell abundance of a specific phytoplankton taxonomic type relative to all observed cells.
RelAz degrees Sensor azimuth angle relative to the solar plane
Rf uW/cm^2/nm/sr Raman fluorescence (may be used in combination with suffixes _ex### and/or _em###, like so: Rf_ex###_em###; ex = excitation wavelength; em = emission wavelength)
rho unitless    Sea surface reflectance factor (as in Mobley 1999)
Rl 1/sr Radiance reflectance (Lu/Ed)
roll degrees Instrument roll
roll_Ed degrees Downwelling irradiance Instrument roll
roll_Lu degrees Upwelling radiance instrument roll
roll_Es degrees Downwelling surface irradiance instrument roll
rot unitless Rayleigh Optical Depth or Rayleigh Optical Thickness
Rpi unitless Radiance reflectance with pi (pi*Lu/Ed)
rrna_gene none Small subunit ribosomes targeted for sequencing (e.g., 16S or 18S)
Rrs 1/sr Remote sensing reflectance (Lw/Ed)
Rrs_unc 1/sr Accumulated estimate of standard uncertainty associated with the derivation of remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) via propagation of radiance and irradiance errors through the remote sensing reflectance computations.
S_ad none Slope of non-algal detritus absorption spectra
S_ag none Slope of gelbstoff absorption spectra. Please include the wavelength range used for the calculation following this format as an example: s_ag_300nmmin_600_nmmax. If only one data value per dataset, please use the following header and format: /s_ag=s_ag_#nmmin_#nmamax:value, where # is wavelength and value is your data value.
sal PSU Salinity
sample none Sample number
SAZ degrees Solar azimuth angle
scientificName_automated none A scientific name from a recognized taxonomic reference database (e.g., WoRMS, AlgaeBase) at the lowest level that matches the data provider's category for an automated classification paired to a scientificNameID. Generally, the ROI corresponds to an occurrence assigned to a single taxonomic name, e.g., Karenia brevis
scientificNameID_automated none A life science identifier (LSID) from a recognized taxonomic reference database (e.g., WoRMS, AlgaeBase) at the lowest level that matches the data provider's category for an automated classification. e.g., urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:233015 where ‘urn:lsid’ indicates the ID that is specific to life science data and is used for all files, marinespecies.org is the url for the reference database WoRMS, and the namespace ‘taxname’ informs the user that the following number represents a unique numerical identifier or taxon identifier in WoRMS. 233015 represents the taxon identifier (AphiaID) in WoRMS for the dinoflagellate species Karenia brevis.
scientificName_manual none A scientific name from a recognized taxonomic reference database (e.g., World Register of Marine Species, AlgaeBase) at the lowest level that matches the data provider's category, for a manual identification matched to scientificNameID. Generally, the ROI corresponds to an occurrence assigned to a single taxonomic name.
scientificNameID_manual none A scientific name from a recognized taxonomic reference database (e.g., World Register of Marine Species, AlgaeBase) at the lowest level that matches the data provider's category, for a manual identification matched to scientificNameID. Generally, the ROI corresponds to an occurrence assigned to a single taxonomic name.
sdy ddd Sequential day of year
second ss Sample second
sensor_azimuth degrees Sensor viewing azimuth angle (horizontal angle clockwise from north)
SenZ degrees Sensor zenith angle
sig mV Stregth of the raw signal of the sunphotometer
sigma_PSII angstrom^2 Effective absorption cross-section of photosystem II in darkness
sigma_theta kg/m^3 Potential density - 1000 kg/m3
sigmaT kg/m^3 Density - 1000 kg/m3
SiO4 mmol/m^3 Silicic Acid / "Dissolved Silica"
Siphn mg/m^3 HPLC Siphonein
Siphx mg/m^3 HPLC Siphonaxanthin
sinking_velocity m/d Sinking velocity of particles such as fecal pellets
SN none Instrument serial number
speed_f_w m/s Speed in the forward direction, relative to water
SPM mg/L Total suspended particulate matter
SSC-A arbunits Area of the signal of light side scattered from the laser interrogating particles (flow cytometry).
SSC-H arbunits Height of the signal of light side scattered from the laser interrogating particles (flow cytometry).
SST degreesC Sea surface temperature
station none Sample station
station_alt_id none Alternate sample station identifier (use ONLY if station has already been used as a field name)
stimf volts Stimulated fluorescence, nominally of chlorophyll a. The suffixes _ex### and _em### may be used to specify wavelengths like so: stimf_ex###_em###; ex = excitation wavelength; em = emission wavelength). Related field: Chl_stimf
stimf_counts counts Stimulated fluorescence (see "stimf") expressed in units of counts instead of volts
substrate_origin none Substrate origin, Substrate Component level 1 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
substrate_class none Substrate class, Substrate Component level 2 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
substrate_subclass none Substrate subclass, Substrate Component level 3 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
substrate_group none Substrate group, Substrate Component level 4 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
Sv dB

Time dependent range and volume backscattering (dB relative to m^-1). Acoustics Data.

[Speak with SeaBASS staff before submitting this type of data]

substrate_subgroup none Substrate subgroup, Substrate Component level 5 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
synechococcus (see Field Name Suffixes table) Phytoplankton taxonomic label for synechococcus. Use in combination with the supported Field Name Suffixes listed in the above table, relating to taxonomic types.
SZ m Secchi disk depth
SZA degrees Solar zenith angle
Tacc mg/m^3 Total accessory pigments (PPC + PSC + Tot_Chl_b + Tot_Chl_c)
Tacc_Tchla none Ratio of Tacc to Tot_Chl_a
TauAv ns Fluorescence kinetics decay time (i.e., fluorescence lifetime of the excited photosynthetic unit)
Tcar mg/m^3 Total carotenoids (PPC + PSC)
Tchl mg/m^3 Tot_Chl_a + Tot_Chl_b + Tot_Chl_c
TChl_Tcar none Ratio of Tchl to Tcar
Tchla_Tpg none Ratio of Tot_chl_a to Tpg
TDN mmol/m^3 Total dissolved nitrogen (per volume)
TDN_kg umol/kg Total dissolved nitrogen (per mass)
TEP_bottle  ug_Gxan_equiv/L Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) in the water (collected via Niskin bottles)
TEP_MSC ug_Gxan_equiv/L Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) in the water (collected via Marine Snow Catcher)
Tdrift degreesC Temperature in the drift tube of the PTR-TOF/MS.
tilt degrees Instrument tilt
tilt_Ed degrees Downwelling irradiance instrument tilt
tilt_Lu degrees Upwelling radiance instrument tilt
tilt_Es degrees Downwelling surface irradiance instrument tilt
time hh:mm:ss Sample time [GMT]
time_end hh:mm:ss Time measurements stopped (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps; also see "date_end") [GMT]
time_processed hh:mm:ss Time the sample was processed [GMT]
time_recovery hh:mm:ss Time instrumentation was recovered from the field (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps) [GMT]
time_resurface hh:mm:ss Time instrumentation resurfaced from a submerged deployment (e.g., used for non-buoyant sediment traps) [GMT]
time_start hh:mm:ss Time sampling began (only needed for extended measurements, e.g., multi-day integration measurements for sediment traps) [GMT]
TOC umol/kg Total Organic Carbon (per mass)
TOC_L umol/L Total Organic Carbon (per volume)
total_alkalinity umol/kg Total alkalinity
Total_C mg/m^3 Total carbon
total_NO2 Dobson Atmospheric total nitrate (NO2)
Total_precipitable_water cm Total precipitable water
Tot_Chl_a mg/m^3 HPLC DV_Chl_a + MV_Chl_a + Chlide_a + Chl_a_allom + Chl_a_prime
Tot_Chl_b mg/m^3 HPLC DV_Chl_b + MV_Chl_b
Tot_Chl_c mg/m^3 HPLC chl_c1 + chl_c2 (i.e., chl_c1c2) + chl_c3
Tpg mg/m^3 Total pigment concentration
trans % Percent transmission
turbidity NTU Turbidity
u d^-1 Growth rate (i.e., µ or mu)
u_ph d^-1 Growth rate of phytoplankton
u_zoo d^-1 Growth rate of zooplankton
Urea mmol/m^3 Urea
Vauch mg/m^3 HPLC Vaucheriaxanthin-ester
VelEast m/s ADP Velocity East
VelNorth m/s ADP Velocity North
VelUp m/s ADP Velocity Up
Viola mg/m^3 HPLC Violaxanthin
volfilt L Volume filtered
volume L Volume used in experiment
VOCair ppbv Concenctration of Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) compounds in air measured via a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF/MS)
VSF 1/m/sr Total volume scattering function (VSF### or VSF###_YYYang, where YYY is collection angle). Also called beta.
VSFg 1/m/sr Gelbstoff volume scattering function, i.e., VSFg = VSFw - VSF(pure water, salinity, and temperature) (VSFg### or VSFp###_YYYang, where YYY is collection angle). Also called beta.
VSFp 1/m/sr Particulate volume scattering function i.e., VSFp = VSF - VSFw (VSFp### or VSFp###_YYYang, where YYY is collection angle). Also called beta.
VSFw 1/m/sr Filtered seawater volume scattering function plus VSF sal & temp contributions, i.e., VSFw = VSF - VSFp (VSFw### or VSFw###_YYYang, where YYY is collection angle). Also called beta.
water_column_biogeochemical_feature none Water Column Biogeochemical Feature Subcomponent (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
water_column_hydroform_class none Water Column Hydroform Subcomponent level 1 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
water_column_hydroform none Water Column Hydroform Subcomponent level 2 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
water_column_hydroform_type none Water Column Hydroform Subcomponent level 3 (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
water_column_layer none Water Column Layer Subcomponent (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
water_column_salinity none Water Column Salinity Subcomponent (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
water_column_temperature none Water Column Temperature Subcomponent (CMECS Units, entry value should be text that does NOT contain the file's delimiter)
water_depth m The water (bottom) depth where the data were collected
waveht m Wave height
wavelength nm Wavelength of measurement
wdir degrees Wind direction, described in degrees from north, increasing clockwise
weight_dry mg Sample dry weight
weight_wet mg Sample wet weight
weight_protein_community mg/m^3 Weight of the protein in the mesozooplankton sample
weight_protein_sample mg/sample Weight of the protein in the whole mesozooplankton community
width_representation um Representation of width of the target detected within the ROI or smallest mesh size through which the target could pass, determined by means specified in the image processing method or protocol document.
wind m/s Wind speed
Wt degreesC Water temperature
wvot unitless Water vapor optical thickness or water vapor optical density
Wvp cm Water vapor
year yyyy Sample year
Z_90 m Depth of the first optical layer (37% light level)
Z_DCM m Depth of the deep chlorophyll maximum
Z_Eu m Depth of the euphotic layer
Z_MLD m Depth of the mixed layer
Z_XML m Depth of the active mixing layer
Zea mg/m^3 HPLC Zeaxanthin
zoop_biomass_dry mg/m^3 Zooplankton biomass dry weight
zoop_biomass_wet mg/m^3 Zooplankton biomass wet weight
13CO2_amps amps Peak intensity of 13CO2 measured using EIMS
3H_Leu pmol/kg/hr Net bacterial production rates (Gross Production - Respiration) are estimated by tracing the incorporation of 3H-labeled leucine into biomass and serve as a proxy for the flux of labile dissolved organic matter through bacteria.
3H_Leu_L pmol/L/hr Net bacterial production rates (Gross Production - Respiration) are estimated by tracing the incorporation of 3H-labeled leucine into biomass and serve as a proxy for the flux of labile dissolved organic matter through bacteria.

The HPLC field names are based on the SCOR (WG 78) abbreviations for each pigment as listed in:

S.W. Jeffrey, R.F.C. Mantoura, and S.W. Wright, Phytoplankton Pigments in Oceanography: Guidelines to Modern Methods, UNESCO Publishing, Paris, France, pp. 661 (1997).

The HPLC sums and ratios are described in Tables 4, 5, and 7 of:

S.B. Hooker and 15 co-authors, The Second SeaWiFS HPLC Analysis Round-Robin Experiment (SeaHARRE-2) , NASA Tech. Memo. 2005-212785, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, pp. 112 (2005).

Table of Field Name Suffixes

Usage note: Field name suffixes should be appended to the end of a field name, after any field name modifiers (such as wavelength, excitation, etc). Field name suffixes require the presence of the un-suffixed field name as a separate field entry within the same SeaBASS file (i.e., FCHECK will complain if your file contains chl_sd but not chl).

Field Suffix Units Description
_bincount none The number of measurements (n) averaged into the reported value or bin in the column(s) that "_bincount" is attached to. This suffix allows (n) to be reported for individual data field. There is also a standalone field called "bincount" which may be used instead if only one bincount is needed to describe the contents of the data matrix.
_quality none An analyst-defined quality flag that is relevant to the base field name. A definition of the quality flags should be provided as metadata header comments and within accompanying documentation files.
_cv unitless Coefficient of Variation. Append "_cv" to the end of the field name it describes e.g., bb532_cv
_sd same as base field's units Standard Deviation. Append "_sd" to the end of the field name it describes e.g., chl_sd
_se same as base field's units Standard Error. Append "_se" to the end of the field name it describes, e.g., chl_se
_unc same as base field's units Uncertainty associated to the measurement. The method used to determine the uncertainty needs to be included in the metadata or comments. Please contact SeaBASS before using it.
_volts Volts Raw data in volts

Table of Field Name Modifiers

The following table provides special ways to modify field names, generally for specific cases where it is necessary to index on a second wavelength or to indicate special size filters.  These modifiers go after the base name (and wavelength, if applicable) but before any suffix.

Field Modifiers Units Description
_#ang does not change base field's units Collection angle. Append "_#ang" to the end of a field name to indicate the collection angle a measurment (such as VSF) was taken at, where "#" is the angle in degrees, expressed as a float or integer. (For example, if volume scattering function is measured at a collection angle of 124 degrees, the field name would be "vsf_124ang".)
_#cilo does not change base field's units Confidence interval, lower, where # is to be replaced with the percent the confidence interval was computed for. Append "_#cilo" to the end of the field name it describes to indicate the relative confidence interval at a given percentage, e.g., chl_95cilo
_#ciup does not change base field's units Confidence interval, upper, where # is to be replaced with the percent the confidence interval was computed for. Append "_#ciup" to the end of the field name it describes to indicate the relative confidence interval at a given percentage, e.g., chl_95ciup
_ex# does not change base field's units Excitation wavelength. Append "_ex#" to the end of a field name to indicate the wavelength of excitation the measurement was taken at, where "#" would be replaced by the float or integer represenation of wavelength in nm. May be used in combination with "_em#", as such: "cdmf_ex#_em#", where "_ex#" preceeds "_em#".
_em# does not change base field's units Emission wavelength. Append "_em###" to the end of a field name to indicate the wavelength of emission the measurement was taken at, where "###" would be replaced by the float or integer represenation of wavelength in nm. May be used in combination with "_ex###", as such: "cdmf_ex###_em###", where "_ex#" preceeds "_em#".
_#hr does not change base field's units Incubation time in hours. Used in NPP field name, for example:rate_13C_uptake_bottle_6h_5umfilt.
_#id does not change base field's units

_#id is used to provide user-defined field name variations associated with classification information. For example, it can be used for taxonomic groups or size classes. It must be used in conjunction with the metadata header "/id_fields_definitions" (and it is recommended to also add a human-readable list of ids as comments in the header). If "id" is used with two different base fields please number the sequentially and do not repeat the id numbers.

 

/id_fields_definitions=1id:nanoeukaryotes,2id:picoeukaryotes,3id:net_sample,4id:experiment_sample

/fields=u_ph_1id,u_ph_2id,sample_3id,sample_4id...

 

Please contact SeaBASS administration to discuss use of this field before implementing it.

 

_#umfilt does not change base field's units

Filter pore size in microns (i.e., measured particles are larger than # microns). e.g., ap_10umfilt

 

Use this suffix to report size fractionated measurements or measurements collected using atypical filter pore sizes. It is unnecessary to add this suffix for standard protocol filter pore sizes (e.g., plain "ap" is appropriate for whole water measurements, rather than "ap_0.7umfilt"). However, include all filter details in your documentation.

 

  • Decimals are allowed
  • If combined with #umprefilt, order these 2 suffixes sequentially with #umfilt first, e.g., ap_10umfilt_20umprefilt
  • Optionally, leading zero padding is allowed for aesthetics (e.g., if reporting 5 and 10 micron filters in the same file, you may write ap_05umfilt and ap_10umfilt)
_#umprefilt does not change base field's units

Filter pore size in microns that the measurement was pre-filtered through (i.e., measured particles are smaller than # microns). e.g., chl_200umprefilt

 

Use this suffix if needed for reporting size fractionated measurements or other cases where samples passed through a significant filter prior to the reported measurement. It is unnecessary to use this suffix if the measurement implicitly defines dissolved material, as long as standard protocol filter pore sizes were used (e.g., just write "ag", not "ag_0.2umprefilt"). However, include all filter details in your documentation.

 

  • Decimals are allowed
  • If combined with #umfilt, order these 2 suffixes sequentially with #umfilt first (e.g., Chl_5umfilt_200umprefilt)
  • Optionally, leading zero padding is allowed for aesthetics (e.g., Chl_005umfilt_200umprefilt)
_#ppt does not change base field's units Parts per thousand. Append "_#ppt" to the end of a field name to indicate the solution's concentration that a measurement was taken in, where "#" is the concentration as a floating point number or integer. (For example, if absorbance is measured at 435.2 nm in a 35.3 ppt sodium-chloride solution, the field name would be "abs_nacl435.2_35.3ppt".)
_#size does not change base field's units Median bin diameter in microns. Used as a suffix for the field "PSD".
_#umsize does not change base field's units Median bin diameter in microns. Used as a suffix for the field "PSD_DNSD or PSD_DVSD".
_stokes1 does not change base field's units First Stokes parameter for characterizing polarization.
_stokes2 does not change base field's units Second Stokes parameter for characterizing polarization.
_stokes3 does not change base field's units Third Stokes parameter for characterizing polarization.
_stokes4 does not change base field's units Fourth Stokes parameter for characterizing polarization.
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Last edited by Inia Soto Ramos on 2024-02-02
Created by Chris Proctor on 2012-09-07