IMOS - AusCPR: Plankton Biomass Index for Australian Waters

IMOS - AusCPR: Biomass Index (mg/m3) is a dataset from the Australian Continuous Plankton Recorder survey, a joint project between CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere and the Australian Antarctic Division. It measures plankton dry weight biomass as an indicator of ocean health, with aims including mapping biodiversity, developing a long-term baseline, and documenting changes in response to climate change. The data is stored and made interoperable through the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) infrastructure and is accessible via the Australian Ocean Data Network portal.

Use Cases

• Modeling plankton biodiversity and distribution patterns based on the long-term survey mentioned in the description.
• Developing climate change impact indicators based on documented plankton changes.
• Creating fisheries management indices based on the stated project aim.
• Validating satellite remote sensing data for ocean color based on the dataset's stated purpose.
• Initializing and testing marine ecosystem models based on the project aims.

Strengths

• Data is part of a long-term baseline project for Australian waters, as stated in the aims.
• Project involves multiple authoritative institutions: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere and the Australian Antarctic Division.
• Data storage is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs through IMOS.

Limitations

• This dataset has been superseded by a newer collection, as noted in the description.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Ships of Opportunity facility, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Plankton samples collected by Continuous Plankton Recorder, dried at 60°C for 24-48 hours, and weighed for dry biomass.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 05:42:29.833232; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australian waters