A harmonized river-ocean coupled database for the northern Gulf of Mexico

The northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) receives water from over 50 rivers which are highly influenced by humans and include the largest river in the United States, the Mississippi River. To support large-scale data-driven research centered on the dynamic river-ocean system in the region, this study consolidated hydrogeochemical river and ocean data from across the nGoM. In particular, we harmonized 35 chemical solute parameters from 54 rivers and incorporated river discharge data to derive daily solute concentration and flux estimates throughout the nGoM. By integrating this river data with 17 ocean parameters, we generated a pre-processed and time-averaged River-Ocean coupled Database for the nGoM, known as ROcD-nGoM with the goals to streamline and enhance diverse research efforts in the nGoM, and also to showcase the value of making hydrological and oceanographic data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Moreover, the script developed in this study can be easily adapted for analyzing other chemical solutes and exploring other regions of interest.