IMOS - AusCPR: Phytoplankton Colour Index for Australian Waters

Phytoplankton Colour Index data from the Australian Continuous Plankton Recorder survey, a joint project of CSIRO and the Australian Antarctic Division. The survey aims to map plankton biodiversity, develop a long-term baseline for Australian waters, and document changes in response to climate change. Data is stored and made interoperable through the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) and accessible via the Australian Ocean Data Network portal.

Use Cases

• Mapping plankton biodiversity and distribution based on the survey's stated aims.
• Developing long-term plankton baselines for Australian waters as described in the project goals.
• Documenting plankton changes in response to climate change using the established methodology.
• Providing indices for fisheries management based on the continuous plankton recorder data.
• Detecting harmful algal blooms as one of the survey's primary objectives.

Strengths

• Data is collected through a formal joint project between CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research and the Australian Antarctic Division.
• Analysis follows a published methodology (Richardson et al. 2006), providing a standardized approach.
• Data storage and access is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs via IMOS infrastructure.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• This dataset has been superseded by a newer collection, as noted in the description.

Provenance

Source

Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Ships of Opportunity facility, with analysis by CSIRO and Australian Antarctic Division staff.

Collection Method

Continuous Plankton Recorder survey, with samples analyzed at CMAR laboratories in Queensland and AAD in Hobart.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-17 01:55:26.705721; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australian waters