Australian Phytoplankton Pigment Composition from Nine Coastal Stations

Nine Australian coastal stations provide phytoplankton pigment composition data from water column samples. Sampling began between 2008 and 2010 and is ongoing for seven sites, with depths ranging from surface to 105 meters. The dataset includes historical records from CSIRO's coastal monitoring program dating back to 1944 for three sites.

Use Cases

• Analyze phytoplankton community structure shifts over time using pigment composition data from the nine National Reference Stations.
• Model vertical pigment distribution in the water column using data sampled at 10-meter intervals from surface to 105 meters.
• Compare ongoing monthly sampling trends with historical data from the Maria Island, Port Hacking, and Rottnest Island stations.
• Investigate biogeochemical changes following the cessation of sampling at the Ningaloo and Esperance sites in 2013.

Strengths

• Data spans nine distinct coastal monitoring stations around Australia.
• Includes historical time series from CSIRO's program, with some records beginning in 1944.
• Water column sampling covers depths up to 105 meters, typically at 10-meter intervals.
• Sampling is ongoing for seven sites, providing current data.

Limitations

• Sampling frequency was reduced to quarterly at the now-discontinued Esperance and Ningaloo sites.
• Data format is HTML and WMS, which may require extraction and transformation for analytical use compared to structured tabular formats.
• The dataset description does not specify the number of rows or available columns for direct assessment of volume.

Provenance

Source

CSIRO Marlin Data Catalogue via the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS).

Collection Method

Monthly (or quarterly) water column sampling from small vessels at fixed mooring stations, with pigment analysis via HPLC.

Time Range

Ongoing sampling began between September 2008 and November 2010; historical data from CSIRO covers 1944-2010 for three sites.

Freshness

Data is updated with ongoing sampling; last metadata update was March 2026.

Geography

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