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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Chemical, physical, and other data collected in the coastal waters of California as part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CalCOFI) project since 1949

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This collection includes data collected from multiple platforms in the coastal waters of California over many years, as part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CalCOFI) project. CalCOFI has been observing the California Current since 1949 to understand and predict the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems.

This collection includes physical measurements and observations of temperature, conductivity, pressure, salinity, density, sound velocity, sigma-t, depth, humidity, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), light transmission, turbidity, solids, water color, tide, current, sea, swell, wave, weather, wind, cloud, chemical measurements and observations of alkalinity, ammonia (NH3), ammonium (NH4), nitrate, nitrite, nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, pH, phosphate, phosphorus, polychlorinated biphenyls, silicate, urea, biological measurements and observations of chlorophyll, productivity, fluorescence, phaeophytin, phaeopigment, phytoplankton, zooplankton, as well as fishery surveys and other data.
  • Cite as: California State Department of Fish and Game; NOAA Fisheries; Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2001). Chemical, physical, and other data collected in the coastal waters of California as part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CalCOFI) project since 1949. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/CalCOFI. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:CalCOFI
Search Data
  • Granule Search (search)
    Search for data granules belonging to this collection (a granule is the smallest aggregation of data that can be independently described and retrieved).
Distribution Formats
  • IEH
    • File Specification: SIO-CalCOFI Legacy Data Archive Format
  • C100
    • File Specification: NODC Ocean Station Format
  • C116
    • File Specification: NODC Bathythermograph Output Format (XBT)
  • F004
    • File Specification: MULDARS Water Physics and Chemistry Data Format (F004)
  • F022
    • File Specification: High-Resolution CTD/STD Output Format (F022)
  • SD2
    • File Specification: NODC Oceanographic Station Data II (SD2) Output Format
  • CSV
Ordering Instructions Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
+1-301-713-3277
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 1938-02-15 to 2017-07-26
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -179.82167
East: 77.68667
South: -34.716667
North: 56.95
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
  • California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI)
  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2003). Temperature profile and other data collected using bottle and CTD casts from the A. AGASSIZ and other platforms from the Pacific Ocean from 1969-01-06 to 1977-07-27 (NCEI Accession 8000006). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/8000006. In US National Oceanographic Data Center (1968). Oceanographic station and other data from meteorological sensors, CTD, and bottle casts from numerous platforms and processed by NODC to the NODC standard Station Data II (SD2) Output Format from 1902-08-03 to 1990-12-27. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/NODC-SD2.
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2001-04-16
  • revision: 2025-05-29
  • creation: 1969
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
Note: Preliminary metadata for this dataset was extracted from a legacy database maintained by the U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC). The design of the database did not exactly reflect the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM).

Principal Investigator (PI) and organization contact information accurately represents all available information from the legacy database at the time that this description was created. However, proper attribution of a PI to a specific institution or the role (submitting or collecting) taken by an institution may not be correct due to inexact mapping between fields in the legacy database and the CSDGM. Due to this uncertainty, the contact information was initially recorded in the Supplemental Information element of the CSDGM description.

To develop more accurate metadata, NCEI reviews metadata for all datasets on an ongoing basis.
Purpose To study the marine environment off the coast of California, the management of its living resources, and monitoring the indicators of El Niño and climate change.
Use Limitations
  • accessLevel: public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: California State Department of Fish and Game; NOAA Fisheries; Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2001). Chemical, physical, and other data collected in the coastal waters of California as part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CalCOFI) project since 1949. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/CalCOFI. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Principal Investigators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Publishers
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords Provider Keywords
  • CalCOFI
  • DEPM - daily egg production method
  • anchovy
  • daily egg production
  • hake
  • jack mackerel
  • sardine
  • squid
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Platform keywords NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords Provider Instruments
  • CUFES
  • Continuous underway fish-egg sampler
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Cruise ID
  • CALCOFI 0615
  • CALCOFI 7303
  • CALCOFI 7305
  • CALCOFI 7712
  • CALCOFI 7801
  • CALCOFI 7803
  • CALCOFI 7804
  • CALCOFI 7805
  • CALCOFI 7807
  • CALCOFI 7808
  • CALCOFI 8105
  • CALCOFI 8401
  • CALCOFI 8402-3
  • CALCOFI 8404
  • CALCOFI 8405
  • CALCOFI 8405-6
  • CALCOFI 8407
  • CALCOFI 8410
  • CALCOFI 8502
  • CALCOFI 8505
  • CALCOFI 8508
  • CALCOFI 8511
  • CALCOFI 8602
  • CALCOFI 8605
  • CALCOFI 8609
  • CALCOFI 8611
  • CALCOFI 8703
  • CALCOFI 8705
  • CALCOFI 8709
  • CALCOFI 8711
  • CALCOFI 8801
  • CALCOFI 8805
  • CALCOFI 8808
  • CALCOFI 8810
  • CALCOFI 8901
  • CALCOFI 8904
  • CALCOFI 8907
  • CALCOFI 8908
  • CALCOFI 8911
  • CALCOFI 9003
  • CALCOFI 9004
  • CALCOFI 9007
  • CALCOFI 9011
  • CALCOFI 9101
  • CALCOFI 9103
  • CALCOFI 9108
  • CALCOFI 9110
  • CALCOFI 9202
  • CALCOFI 9204
  • CALCOFI 9207
  • CALCOFI 9210
  • CALCOFI 9301
  • CALCOFI 9304
  • CALCOFI 9308
  • CRUISE 8301
  • CRUISE 8303
  • CRUISE 8304
  • CRUISE 8305
  • CRUISE 8306
  • CRUISE 8307
  • CRUISE 8308
  • CRUISE 8309
  • CRUISE 8310
  • CRUISE 8311
  • CRUISE 8312
  • CRUISE CW86
  • CRUISE SQ86
  • CRUISE SQ87
  • CalCOFI Cruise 0001
  • CalCOFI Cruise 0004
  • CalCOFI Cruise 0007
  • DS-02-01
  • DS-02-02
  • DS-02-03
  • DS-02-04
  • DS-02-05
  • DS-02-06
  • DS-02-07
  • DS-04-01
  • DS-04-02
  • DS-04-03
  • DS-04-04
  • DS-04-05
  • DS-04-06
  • FRONTS 88
  • SQ87 LEG I
  • SQ87 LEG II
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Project Keywords Provider Project Names
  • CalCOFI-California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Keywords Send2NCEI Submission Package ID
  • 9MK2JU
  • P36J4R
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: California State Department of Fish and Game; NOAA Fisheries; Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2001). Chemical, physical, and other data collected in the coastal waters of California as part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CalCOFI) project since 1949. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/CalCOFI. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: series
Processing Steps
  • 2001-04-16T04:00:00Z - NCEI Accession 0000298 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 7100165 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8300195 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600260 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600260 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600369 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600369 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600370 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600370 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600371 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8600371 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8700010 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8700010 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8800121 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8800121 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 9400134 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 9500048 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 9700025 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 9700040 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 9800118 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-01-24T18:49:57Z - NCEI Accession 0000880 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:15:52Z - NCEI Accession 7100603 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:19:19Z - NCEI Accession 7300970 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:20:52Z - NCEI Accession 7500074 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:22:10Z - NCEI Accession 7501040 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:22:54Z - NCEI Accession 7600333 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:30:50Z - NCEI Accession 6900651 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:35:59Z - NCEI Accession 8500286 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:36:10Z - NCEI Accession 8600053 v1.1 was published.
  • 2003-10-24T17:41:33Z - NCEI Accession 9000096 v1.1 was published.
  • 2004-08-18T11:46:38Z - NCEI Accession 0001669 v1.1 was published.
  • 2004-08-25T14:44:51Z - NCEI Accession 0001682 v1.1 was published.
  • 2005-04-13T13:25:18Z - NCEI Accession 0002116 v1.1 was published.
  • 2005-05-17T15:06:08Z - NCEI Accession 0002180 v1.1 was published.
  • 2005-08-04T15:39:43Z - NCEI Accession 0002315 v1.1 was published.
  • 2006-08-30T17:16:40Z - NCEI Accession 0002815 v1.1 was published.
  • 2007-05-29T15:08:41Z - NCEI Accession 0019214 v1.1 was published.
  • 2007-05-29T15:08:41Z - NCEI Accession 0019214 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2008-03-11T16:36:36Z - NCEI Accession 0039548 v1.1 was published.
  • 2008-12-19T18:21:25Z - NCEI Accession 0049549 v1.1 was published.
  • 2013-03-15T01:24:15Z - NCEI Accession 0000298 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2013-03-18T21:31:10Z - NCEI Accession 6900651 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2013-03-19T16:56:10Z - NCEI Accession 9500048 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2013-03-19T21:57:14Z - NCEI Accession 9700040 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2013-07-25T12:58:37Z - NCEI Accession 0001669 was revised and v2.2 was published.
  • 2014-05-21T18:56:08Z - NCEI Accession 0117293 v1.1 was published.
  • 2016-01-25T22:59:11Z - NCEI Accession 0102603 v1.1 was published.
  • 2016-03-08T18:11:08Z - NCEI Accession 0126651 v1.1 was published.
  • 2018-05-17T14:49:17Z - NCEI Accession 0171597 v1.1 was published.
  • 2018-08-30T16:29:15Z - NCEI Accession 0174136 v1.1 was published.
  • 2018-10-26T17:26:19Z - NCEI Accession 7300970 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2018-10-26T18:33:31Z - NCEI Accession 7500074 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2018-10-26T19:05:24Z - NCEI Accession 7501040 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2018-10-26T19:10:19Z - NCEI Accession 7600333 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2018-10-27T02:45:21Z - NCEI Accession 8600053 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2018-10-27T03:11:07Z - NCEI Accession 8600260 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2018-10-27T03:12:25Z - NCEI Accession 8600369 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2018-10-27T03:12:30Z - NCEI Accession 8600370 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2018-10-27T03:13:07Z - NCEI Accession 8600371 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2018-10-27T03:13:11Z - NCEI Accession 8700010 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2018-10-27T10:24:20Z - NCEI Accession 9000096 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2022-01-14T07:08:50Z - NCEI Accession 6900651 was revised and v1.3 was published.
  • 2022-01-14T15:02:14Z - NCEI Accession 7100603 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2022-01-16T17:37:12Z - NCEI Accession 7500074 was revised and v1.3 was published.
  • 2022-02-05T22:07:22Z - NCEI Accession 7100603 was revised and v1.3 was published.
  • 2022-10-06T23:25:38Z - NCEI Accession 7100603 was revised and v1.4 was published.
  • 2023-02-09T22:37:38Z - NCEI Accession 8300195 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2023-02-11T13:16:26Z - NCEI Accession 8500286 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2023-02-11T15:46:31Z - NCEI Accession 8600053 was revised and v1.3 was published.
  • 2023-02-12T03:33:42Z - NCEI Accession 8600260 was revised and v2.4 was published.
  • 2023-02-12T09:31:39Z - NCEI Accession 8600369 was revised and v2.4 was published.
  • 2023-02-12T09:33:34Z - NCEI Accession 8600370 was revised and v2.4 was published.
  • 2023-02-12T09:34:17Z - NCEI Accession 8600371 was revised and v2.4 was published.
  • 2023-02-12T12:08:38Z - NCEI Accession 8700010 was revised and v2.4 was published.
  • 2023-02-13T11:04:33Z - NCEI Accession 8800121 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2023-02-14T08:09:55Z - NCEI Accession 9000096 was revised and v1.3 was published.
  • 2023-02-16T03:50:36Z - NCEI Accession 9400134 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2023-12-07T01:23:32Z - NCEI Accession 8900059 v0.1 was published.
  • 2024-10-14T17:46:18Z - NCEI Accession 9400134 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2024-10-14T17:48:14Z - NCEI Accession 0002180 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2024-10-14T17:49:14Z - NCEI Accession 0002315 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2024-10-14T17:51:16Z - NCEI Accession 0002815 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2024-10-14T17:52:16Z - NCEI Accession 0019214 was revised and v2.3 was published.
  • 2024-10-15T19:40:15Z - NCEI Accession 0145016 v1.1 was published.
  • 2024-10-15T19:47:14Z - NCEI Accession 0162193 v1.1 was published.
  • 2024-10-15T19:55:14Z - NCEI Accession 0170597 v1.1 was published.
  • 2024-10-16T21:15:15Z - NCEI Accession 0039548 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2024-10-16T23:11:14Z - NCEI Accession 7100165 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2024-10-16T23:12:16Z - NCEI Accession 8300195 was revised and v1.3 was published.
  • 2024-10-16T23:13:15Z - NCEI Accession 8800121 was revised and v2.4 was published.
  • 2024-10-16T23:58:14Z - NCEI Accession 0049549 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2024-10-16T23:59:15Z - NCEI Accession 9500048 was revised and v1.3 was published.
  • 2024-10-17T00:00:15Z - NCEI Accession 9700025 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2024-10-17T00:01:14Z - NCEI Accession 9800118 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2025-04-08T15:40:28Z - NCEI Accession 0002116 was revised and v1.2 was published.
  • 2025-05-29T14:16:51Z - NCEI Accession 0069123 v1.1 was published.
Lineage information for: repository
Processing Steps
  • 2015-04-22T00:00:00 - NOAA created the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) by merging NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), and National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), including the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), per the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law 113-235. NCEI launched publicly on April 22, 2015.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • ADCP
  • aerovane
  • barometer
  • bathythermograph - BT
  • bathythermograph - MBT
  • bathythermograph - XBT
  • bottle
  • compass
  • CTD
  • CUFES
  • current meter
  • echo sounder
  • fluorometer
  • GPS
  • humidity sensor
  • laboratory analysis
  • meteorological sensor
  • net
  • net - plankton net
  • net - zooplankton net
  • pump casts
  • Secchi disk
  • temperature probe
  • thermosalinograph
  • visual analysis
Platform
  • ALASKA
  • ALBA
  • ALEXANDER AGASSIZ
  • ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT
  • ARGO
  • BLACK DOUGLAS
  • CREST
  • E. W. SCRIPPS
  • EKVATOR
  • ELLEN B. SCRIPPS
  • HORIZON
  • HUGH M. SMITH
  • M/V Frosti
  • MAKO
  • MYS BABUSHKINA
  • N. B. SCOFIELD
  • NEW HORIZON
  • NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada
  • NOAA Ship David Starr Jordan
  • NOAA Ship Discoverer
  • NOAA Ship McArthur
  • NOAA Ship McArthur II
  • NOAA Ship Miller Freeman
  • NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
  • NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker
  • NOAA Ship Townsend Cromwell
  • OCEAN STARR
  • OCEANUS
  • ORCA
  • PAOLINA-T
  • POINT SUR
  • POSEYDON
  • R/V Alejandro De Humboldt
  • R/V DAVID PHILLIP DOLPHIN
  • R/V Roger Revelle
  • R/V Sally Ride
  • R/V WECOMA
  • ROBERT GORDON SPROUL
  • SHANA RAE
  • SPENCER F. BAIRD
  • STRANGER
  • TAGE
  • TIKHOOKEANSKIY
  • UNKNOWN PLATFORMS OF UNITED STATES
  • USCGC Minnetonka
  • USS PROTEUS
  • VANTUNA
  • YELLOWFIN
Last Modified: 2026-05-24T17:21:44Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov