IMOS Picoplankton Flow Cytometry Data from Nine Australian Coastal Stations

Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) provides picoplankton data analyzed by flow cytometry from nine National Reference Station sites around Australia. Sampling began between September 2008 and November 2010 and is ongoing at seven sites, with two sites ceasing in 2013. The data is part of a broader biogeochemical monitoring program with historical records extending back to 1944 for some locations.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in picoplankton populations based on monthly sampling.
• Compare coastal marine ecosystems based on data from nine distinct Australian sites.
• Model biogeochemical cycles based on long-term plankton observations.
• Study the impact of environmental changes on microbial communities based on a multi-year time series.

Strengths

• Data spans multiple years, with sampling ongoing since 2008-2010 for most sites.
• Covers nine distinct coastal stations around Australia, providing geographic breadth.
• Integrates with historical data from CSIRO monitoring programs dating back to 1944 for three sites.
• Collection follows a documented operations manual, suggesting standardized procedures.

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 data_gov_au, focused on Australian coastal waters.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN) via Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS).

Collection Method

Monthly (or 3-monthly) sampling from small vessels, with analysis by flow cytometry.

Time Range

2008-09-29 to ongoing (with two sites ending 2013-08/09).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 17:26:18.463252; freshness should be verified.

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).