AusCPR: Phytoplankton Abundance in Australian Waters

The Australian Continuous Plankton Recorder survey provides a long-term baseline for plankton communities in Australian oceans. Data are analyzed in situ from samples captured on silk mesh, offering a concentrated view of phytoplankton cells. The project aims to map biodiversity, document climate change impacts, and support fisheries management and satellite validation.

Use Cases

• Map plankton biodiversity and distribution based on in-situ counts from CPR samples.
• Document changes in plankton communities in response to climate change as stated in the project aims.
• Develop indices for fisheries management based on phytoplankton abundance data.
• Detect harmful algal blooms using the time-series data products.
• Validate satellite remote sensing data with ground-truth plankton observations.

Strengths

• Data products account for taxonomic changes over time and analyst training improvements.
• Abundance values distinguish between a real absence (0) and a species not being looked for (-999), making the data applicable for time series analysis.
• The project is a joint effort by CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere and the Australian Antarctic Division, funded by the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Australian Continuous Plankton Recorder survey routes.

Provenance

Source

CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere and the Australian Antarctic Division, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Phytoplankton are counted in situ from samples captured by Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) silk mesh, as per Richardson et al. 2006 methodology.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 00:48:50.406983; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australian waters.