The Maria Island National Reference Station provides the longest high-quality ocean time series in the Southern Hemisphere, with biogeochemical samples collected since 1944. This collection includes near real-time surface and subsurface observations of water temperature, salinity, pressure, and dissolved oxygen from Australian coastal waters. Automated quality control routines are applied to the near real-time data, with further processed delayed mode data available after deployments.
Use Cases
- Monitor oceanographic phenomena in Australian coastal waters based on the described national reference stations.
- Analyze long-term trends in water temperature and salinity based on the Maria Island time series starting in 1944.
- Model dissolved oxygen levels in coastal ecosystems based on the measured properties.
- Validate oceanographic models using high-frequency moored instrument data collected since 2008.
Strengths
- Includes the longest high-quality ocean time series in the Southern Hemisphere from Maria Island.
- Biogeochemical samples collected since 1944 and high-frequency moored instrument data since 2008.
- Automated quality control routines are applied to the near real-time data.
Limitations
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Previous near-real time data from several moorings were discontinued in 2017 and were not quality controlled.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Observations from a series of national reference stations and regional moorings.
- Time Range
- Biogeochemical samples from 1944; high-frequency moored instrument data from 2008.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-05-05 19:30:18.026964; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Australian coastal ocean waters, including Maria Island, North Stradbroke Island, Darwin, and Yongala.