IMOS Phytoplankton Pigment Composition from Nine Australian Coastal Stations

Nine Australian coastal stations have collected phytoplankton pigment composition data from water column samples since 2008. Sampling began between September 2008 and November 2010 and is currently ongoing for seven sites, with two sites ceasing in 2013. The Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) manages this dataset, which includes historical data from CSIRO's Coastal Monitoring program dating back to 1944 for three locations.

Use Cases

• Analyze phytoplankton community structure based on pigment composition data.
• Monitor long-term changes in coastal marine ecosystems based on time-series sampling.
• Study spatial variations in phytoplankton across nine distinct Australian coastal sites.
• Model primary productivity based on pigment concentration profiles from the water column.
• Integrate pigment data with other biogeochemical parameters from the IMOS mooring network.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over a decade, with sampling ongoing at seven of nine sites.
• Includes historical data from CSIRO's Coastal Monitoring program, with records dating back to 1944 for three sites.
• Samples cover the complete water column (0-50m) at nine geographically diverse Australian coastal stations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Sampling frequency was reduced to three-monthly at two sites (Esperance and Ningaloo) prior to their closure.

Provenance

Source

Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) National Mooring Network - National Reference Station (NRS) field sampling.

Collection Method

Monthly (or three-monthly) water column sampling from small vessels, with pigment analysis performed on collected samples.

Time Range

Sampling began between 2008-09-29 and 2010-11-08, ongoing for seven sites; historical data available from 1944.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:23:27.436833; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nine Australian coastal sites: Maria Island (TAS), Kangaroo Island (SA), Esperance (WA), Rottnest Island (WA), Ningaloo (WA), Darwin (NT), Yongala (QLD), North Stradbroke Island (QLD), Port Hacking 100 (NSW).