Picoplankton Flow Cytometry Data from Nine Australian Coastal Stations

Comprising picoplankton component data analyzed by flow cytometry from nine Australian coastal reference stations. Sampling began between September 2008 and November 2010 and is ongoing for seven sites, with monthly collection from small vessels. The dataset has been superseded by a combined biogeochemical parameters collection.

Use Cases

• Analyze picoplankton population dynamics across nine distinct Australian coastal stations to identify regional biogeochemical patterns.
• Study temporal changes in marine microbial communities using flow cytometry data from stations with sampling starting between 2008 and 2010.
• Compare historical coastal monitoring data from Maria Island, Port Hacking, and Rottnest Island with the newer IMOS NRS flow cytometry records.
• Investigate the impact of sampling cessation at Ningaloo and Esperance stations in 2013 on long-term ecological time series analysis.

Strengths

• Data collection spans multiple years, with sampling ongoing at seven of the nine original stations since 2008-2010.
• Geographic coverage includes nine distinct coastal sites around Australia, providing regional marine data.
• Integration with historical CSIRO Coastal Monitoring program data is available for three key station sites.

Limitations

• The dataset has been officially superseded by a newer combined collection, potentially reducing its direct utility.
• Specific data structure details like column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in the input.
• Sampling frequency was reduced (three-monthly) at the now-discontinued Esperance and Ningaloo sites.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Sampling began between 29/09/2008 and 08/11/2010; ongoing for 7 sites, ceased at Ningaloo and Esperance in August/September 2013.

Freshness

The metadata record was last updated in March 2026, but the core data collection is historical and superseded.

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).