Australian Coastal Water Clarity Measurements from Nine Reference Stations

Nine Australian coastal sites provide monthly measurements of Secchi Depth and Total Suspended Solids, with sampling beginning between 2008 and 2010. The dataset is collected by the Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) National Mooring Network and includes historical data from CSIRO for three sites dating back to 1944. Data storage is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal water clarity based on Secchi Depth measurements.
• Analyzing trends in Total Suspended Solids (inorganic and organic) over time.
• Comparing water quality parameters across different Australian coastal regions.
• Validating satellite-derived ocean color data with in-situ Secchi Depth observations.
• Studying the impact of seasonal or climatic events on marine biogeochemistry.

Strengths

• Includes data from nine distinct coastal stations across Australia.
• Provides long-term records, with historical data for three sites spanning over 50 years.
• Sampling is conducted monthly, offering a regular temporal resolution for time-series analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Sampling ceased at two sites (Ningaloo and Esperance) in 2013, limiting their temporal coverage.

Provenance

Source

Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) National Mooring Network, Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Monthly (or three-monthly) field sampling from small vessels, with analyses performed on collected water samples.

Time Range

Sampling began between 2008-2010 and is ongoing for 7 sites; historical data for three sites dates back to 1944.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 23:27:00.500258; 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).