Polygon of the Pulley Ridge Study Area

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• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
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  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
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• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
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• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
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Title: Polygon of the Pulley Ridge Study Area

Abstract:

Pulley Ridge is a series of drowned barrier islands that extend over 100 km in 60-100 m water depths. This drowned ridge is located on the Florida Platform in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico about 250 km west of Cape Sable, Florida. This barrier island chain formed during the initial stage of the Holocene marine transgression. These islands were then submerged and left abandoned near the outer edge of the Florida Platform. The southern portion of Pulley Ridge hosts zooxanthellate scleractinian corals, green, red and brown macro algae, and a mix of deep and typically shallow-water tropical fishes. This reef community is in unusually deep water, and its extent and the controls on its distribution were unknown. To address these questions scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program in cooperation with scientists from the University of South Florida Department of Marine Sciences have completed a detailed mapping of the southernmost 35 km of Pulley Ridge. The area was mapped using multibeam bathymetry, sidescan-sonar imagery, and high-resolution seismic-reflection profiling to define the geologic framework on which the reef is established. Submersible dives, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) transects, and transects of bottom photographs and video were collected to identify the corals and to map their distribution. This extensive suite of data has been compiled and preliminary analysis of the data suggests that the reefs are not tied to the ridge system, but instead are more broadly distributed. Whether reef distribution is controlled by oceanographic conditions or by subtle differences in the substrate that overlies the barrier island system is unclear, and are topics of continued research.

1. How should this data set be cited?

   Halley, Robert B. , Twichell, David C. , and Cross, VeeAnn A. , 2004, Polygon of the Pulley Ridge Study Area:.

   Online Links:

   • <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1228/data/gis/studyarea.zip>

   This is part of the following larger work.

   Cross, VeeAnn A. , Blackwood, Dann S. , Halley, Robert B. , and Twichell, David C. , 2004, Bottom Photographs from the Pulley Ridge Deep Coral Reef: Open-File Report 2004-1228, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center, Woods Hole, MA.

   Online Links:

   • <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1228>

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -83.802899

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -83.586369

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.009974

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.637561

3. What does it look like?

4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Calendar_Date: 2004

   Currentness_Reference: publication date

5. What is the general form of this data set?

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):

      • G-polygon (1)

   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.000000. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000000. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   studyarea

   FID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   Shape

   Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI)

   Coordinates defining the features.

   ID

   Computer assigned polygon ID number. (Source: Software.)

   Value	Definition
   0

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Robert B. Halley
   • David C. Twichell
   • VeeAnn A. Cross

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

   Robert Halley
   U.S. Geological Survey
   Geologist
   USGS Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies
   St. Petersburg, FL 33701-4846
   

   (727) 803-8747x3113 (voice)
   (727) 803-2032 (FAX)
   rhalley@usgs.gov
   

This polygon shapefile is intended to give the approximate bounds where bottom photographs were acquired in the Pulley Ridge area.

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: None.

Use_Constraints:

The U.S. Geological Survey must be referenced as the originator of the dataset in any future products or research derived from these data.

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)

   David C. Twichell
   U.S. Geological Survey
   Oceanographer
   384 Woods Hole Rd.
   Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
   

   (508) 548-8700 x2266 (voice)
   (508) 457-2310 (FAX)
   dtwichell@usgs.gov
   

2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

   Downloadable Data

3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Although all data published in this report have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and related materials and/or the functioning of the software. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in the use of this data, software, or related materials.

4. How can I download or order the data?

Dates:

Last modified: 29-Jun-2004

Metadata author:

VeeAnn A. Cross
U.S. Geological Survey
Marine Geologist
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598

(508) 548-8700 x2251 (voice)
(508) 457-2310 (FAX)
vatnipp@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)

Metadata extensions used:

• <http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html>