Donated ROV vibracore and sampling data collected during Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute cruises in 2019 offshore of south-central California

This dataset includes photographs of vibracores that were collected by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in February 2019 and November 2019 aboard the R/V Western Flyer using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts. The collection of these cores was funded entirely by MBARI, and the cores have been donated to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The cores were collected in collaboration with the USGS and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and are located in the same study area as the collaborative California Deepwater Investigations and Groundtruthing (Cal DIG I) project. The purpose of the overall Cal DIG I study is to assess shallow geohazards, benthic habitats, and thereby the potential for alternative energy infrastructure (namely floating wind turbines) offshore south-central California due to the study area's proximity to power grid infrastructure associated with the Morro Bay power plant. These data provide information about the geology of the seafloor and shallow subsurface offshore of the south-central California coast.