GULF OF MEXICO PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL DATA 

 FROM ALASKA CRUISES 



INTRODUCTION 



Before 1950 the only systematic surveys 

 of the chemical features of the entire Gulf 

 of Mexico were the cruises of MABEL TAYLOR 

 in 1932 (Parr, 1935) and ATLANTIS in 1935 

 (Bulletin Hydrographique, 1936). Partly as 

 a result of military interest in the ocejins 

 and partly because of an increased demand 

 for sea foods, the oceanic environment begem 

 to attract renewed and more intensive atten- 

 tion following World War II. Because of the 

 added stimulus of a great increase in the 

 value of the annual shrimp jind menhaden pro- 

 duction in the Gulf of Mexico, Congress 

 authorized the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- 

 vice to expand its investigations of the 

 fisheries juid oceanography of Gulf waters. 

 This effort encompassed physical oceanog- 

 raphy, maxine biology and chemistry, cind 

 exploratory-fishing operations. 



The biological section of the program 

 was assigned to the Gulf Fishery Investiga- 

 tions with headquarters at Galveston, Texas. 

 The physical oceanography was assigned to 

 the Texas Agricultural sind Mechanical 

 College Department of Oceanography through 

 U. S. Navy Office of Naval Research and the 

 Bureau of Ships. 



The cruises were planned with the Texas 

 A. and M. group, and were designed to con- 

 form to the needs of the oceeuiographic 

 problems. One of the major oceEinographic 

 problems concerned the water transport sys- 

 tem in the Yucatan Channel, southeastern 

 Gulf, and Florida Strait area. The majority 

 of the cruises were directed to that region. 

 All plans for biological observations were 

 adapted to the requirements of the hydro- 

 graphic program. 



The observations fell into these 

 categories: Salinity and temperature data 

 for dynamic computations, meteorological 

 observations, chemical determinations (other 

 than salinity) for biological interpreta- 

 tion, and plankton collections - 



The data pertaining to dynamic computa- 

 tions, and some inorgcinic phosphorus values, 

 have been published in a preliminary form 

 by the Texas A. and M. Department of 



Oceanography (1954, 1955). The plankton 

 data will be presented in separate reports. 



This report wi 

 physical, and meteo 

 climatological , sal 

 data have been take 

 reports and are inc 

 venience which come 

 listed in the same 

 explanations apply 

 special conditions 

 they will be found 

 for that cruise. 



11 present all chemical, 

 rological data. The 

 inity, and temperature 

 n from the A. and M. 

 luded here for the con- 

 s from having all data 

 place. The following 

 to all cruises, but when 

 apply to a given cruise 

 at the head of the tables 



METHODS 



Collection of chemical samples on 

 shipboard. 



Salinity . Samples were drawn from 

 standard Nansen bottles into 4-ounce 

 prescription bottles with bakelite screw 

 caps. Each sample bottle was wrapped 

 tightly with plastic electrician's tape 

 at the juncture of cap and bottle. 



Total phosphorus . Handled as above 

 except that thorium carbonate was added 

 according to Harvey (1948). 



Nitrate-nitrite nitrogen; inorganic 

 phosphorus, carbohydrate, protein 

 (tyrosine, tyrosine-tryptophan) 

 samples were preserved in the frozen 

 state according to the method given 

 by Collier and Marvin (1953). 



Analytical methods.—' 



1/ 



1/ Most salinity determinations and all 

 phosphate-P, nitrate-nitrite-N, carbo- 

 hydrate, tyrosine, and tyrosine- 

 tryptophan determinations were made in 

 the Galveston laboratory under the 

 direction of Messrs. K. T. Marvin and 

 P. J. Wangersky. Mr. Marvin supervised 

 the interpolation of all values for 

 standard depths except salinity, tem- 

 perature, and density, which were done 

 by the Texas A. and M. Department of 

 Oceanography. 



