Datasets on Benthic Species Abundances
The National Benthic Inventory
consists of a dynamic quantitative database on benthic species abundances, by taxon
and location, obtained from studies conducted by
NOAA and partnering institutions in estuarine and other coastal-ocean
areas around the country. Data are available for view or download as individual studies or data grouped by project. Additionally,
the database may be searched using a
simple taxa query or a
more advanced query.
A full list of taxa contained within the
NBI is available here. All taxa within
the NBI have been assigned a Taxonomic
Serial Number (TSN) from the
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Clicking on a taxon’s
TSN, while navigating the NBI,
will link to a page detailing the taxon’s taxonomic hierarchy.
The broad scope of the NBI provides a unique basis for monitoring the incidence and
patterns of non-indigenous aquatic species (NAS) in marine and coastal waters. Potential
non-indigenous aquatic species (NAS) contained within the
NBI are flagged and mapped
to the USGS/SERC
Non-indigenous Species Database (NISBase).
NISBase
is an online distributed network of databases providing information on
NAS occurrences around the world.
Options for Browsing NBI Datasets