Four mooring stations collected benthic photosynthetically active radiation (bPAR) data from April 2016 to November 2017 for the NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub project 2.3.1. The dataset, managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network, provides in situ reference data for calibrating remote sensing ocean color models. Data collection involved WETLabs ECO PARSB and SEABIRD SBE16PLUS V2 SEACAT profiler sensors at sites including Myrmidon, Palm Passage, Heron Island South, and Yongala.
Use Cases
- Calibrating remote sensing ocean color models for benthic light estimation based on the described in situ reference data.
- Analyzing spatial and temporal patterns of photosynthetically active radiation reaching the seafloor across different reef regions.
- Studying the relationship between water column properties and benthic light availability for ecological modeling.
- Validating satellite-derived PAR products against high-frequency, quality-controlled mooring measurements.
Strengths
- Data spans four distinct geographic stations with specific coordinates and region types (e.g., shallow inshore, deep outer shelf).
- Collection period covers over 19 months from April 2016 to November 2017.
- Quality control procedures are described, including exclusion of unstable start/end periods and correction of night-time values.
- Sensor specifications and deployment methods (e.g., fixed depth, 5-second blocks every 15 minutes) are documented.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count and overall dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au, collected for NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub project 2.3.1.
- Collection Method
- Deployment of PAR sensors on permanent mooring wires at fixed depths, collecting 5-second blocks of data every 15 minutes.
- Time Range
- April 2016 to November 2017.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-07-13 19:10:40.158819; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Four mooring stations off the coast of Queensland, Australia: Yongala, Myrmidon, Palm Passage, and Heron Island South.