Expeditions Dataset

Overview

The expeditions dataset serves as the spatial and operational backbone of the Pristine Seas Science Database. It maintains the registry of all scientific campaigns and provides the hierarchical framework that enables data integration across survey methods.

This dataset provides:

• Expedition metadata: Who, what, when, and where for each expedition
• Cross-method integration: A master site registry linking all survey types

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Tables

Info (expeditions.info)

This table contains metadata for every scientific expedition conducted by the Pristine Seas team. Each row defines a unique field campaign—its country, region, vessel, leadership, dates, and collaborators.

Table 1: expeditions.info Table Schema

Field	Type	Required	Description
exp_id	STRING	true	Unique expedition identifier in the format ISO3_YEAR (e.g., FJI_2025)
exp_number	INTEGER	true	Sequential expedition number (e.g., 43)
exp_name	STRING	true	Official or working expedition name
country	STRING	true	Primary country or jurisdiction visited (used for exp_id)
start_date	DATE	true	Expedition start date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
end_date	DATE	true	Expedition end date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
days_at_sea	INTEGER	false	Number of operational days at sea
expedition_lead	STRING	true	Overall expedition leader
science_lead	STRING	true	Lead scientist for the research campaign
vessel_name	STRING	false	Primary research vessel name
methods_used	STRING	false	Survey methods deployed, pipe-delimited (e.g., uvs|bruvs|edna)
partners	STRING	false	All institutional collaborators, pipe-delimited
ship_track	STRING	false	Vessel route as WKT LINESTRING
notes	STRING	false	Internal notes and additional metadata

Since 2009, Pristine Seas has conducted 47 expeditions across 30 countries and territories, spanning tropical reefs, polar seas, deep trenches, and remote archipelagos.

Figure 1: Timeline of expeditions

Sites (expeditions.sites)

This table defines the primary spatial unit for fieldwork. A site represents a distinct instance where a survey method (e.g., UVS, pBRUV, eDNA) was applied at a specific location and time during an expedition.

While method-specific datasets (e.g., uvs.sites, sub.sites) manage their own site records, the shared expeditions.sites table acts as the central reference for joining across methods, mapping, and spatial summaries.

Table 2: expeditions.sites Table Schema

Field	Type	Required	Description
ps_site_id	STRING	true	Unique site ID (exp_id_method_###), e.g., FJI_2025_uvs_001
exp_id	STRING	true	Foreign key to expeditions.info
method	STRING	true	Field method used (e.g., uvs, pbruv, edna, sub)
region	STRING	true	Broad geographic or administrative unit (e.g., Murat, Chocó, Tuamotu, Duff Islands).
subregion	STRING	true	Intermediate feature within the region such as an atoll, island, gulf, or reef complex
locality	STRING	false	Local named feature such as a village, bay, cove, reef (e.g., Lolieng, Ensenada Utría).
date	DATE	true	Date of the site-level deployment in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
time	TIME	true	Local time of the deployment in 24-hour format (HH:MM:SS)
latitude	FLOAT	true	Approximate latitude (decimal degrees, WGS84)
longitude	FLOAT	true	Approximate longitude (decimal degrees, WGS84)
team_lead	STRING	true	Name of the lead scientist or survey team lead
notes	STRING	false	Optional comments, metadata, or field observations

Example queries

Data Management

QAQC

Site IDs must follow the pattern: exp_id_method_### with 3-digit padding Coordinates validated to ensure they fall within reasonable marine boundaries Expedition ID must exist in expeditions.info Method must be from controlled vocabulary (uvs, sbruv, pbruv, edna, sub, birds, dscm) Dates must fall within expedition start/end dates No duplicate site IDs allowed

Update process

Sites are added as each method data pipeline is completed. Data is validated against expedition metadata before insertion. Method-specific details are added to respective method tables. Updates coordinated through central data management team