IMOS NRS Picoplankton Flow Cytometry Data from Nine Australian Coastal Sites

Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) National Reference Station data includes picoplankton analyzed by flow cytometry from nine Australian coastal sites. Sampling began between September 2008 and November 2010 and is ongoing for seven sites, with monthly collection from small vessels. The dataset is managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network and has been superseded by a combined biogeochemical parameters collection.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term picoplankton population trends based on the multi-year time series from nine reference stations.
• Model coastal marine biogeochemistry based on the flow cytometry measurements of picoplankton components.
• Compare phytoplankton communities across different Australian coastal regions based on the nine distinct sampling sites.
• Study the impact of sampling cessation at specific sites based on the data from Ningaloo and Esperance, which ended in 2013.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over a decade, with sampling ongoing at seven of the nine sites.
• Includes historical data from CSIRO's Coastal Monitoring program for three sites, with records dating back to 1944.
• Sampling is conducted at nine distinct coastal reference stations around Australia.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset has been superseded by a newer combined collection, indicating it may not be the most current version.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Monthly (or three-monthly) field sampling from small vessels, with picoplankton analyzed by flow cytometry.

Time Range

Sampling began between 2008-09-29 and 2010-11-08 and is ongoing for seven sites; ceased at two sites in 2013.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 17:10:41.435031; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nine coastal sites 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).