IMOS National Reference Stations: Total Suspended Solids and Secchi Depth Measurements

Monthly and three-monthly water quality measurements from nine Australian coastal sites, with sampling beginning between September 2008 and November 2010. The dataset includes Total Suspended Solids and Secchi Depth data, collected by the Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) National Mooring Network. Sampling is ongoing at seven sites, having ceased at Ningaloo and Esperance in August/September 2013.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal sediment dynamics based on Total Suspended Solids measurements.
• Analyzing long-term trends in water clarity based on Secchi Depth time-series data.
• Comparing biogeochemical conditions across different Australian coastal regions based on the nine reference station sites.
• Validating satellite-derived ocean color products using in-situ Secchi Depth and TSS measurements.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over a decade, starting between 2008 and 2010.
• Includes measurements from nine distinct coastal reference stations around Australia.
• Links to historical data from CSIRO Coastal Monitoring program for three sites, extending records back to the 1940s and 1950s.
• Sampling 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 the nine specific Australian coastal sites.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Field sampling conducted monthly (or three-monthly) from small vessels, with samples analyzed for TSS and Secchi Depth.

Time Range

2008-09-29 to present (ongoing for 7 sites, ended 2013 for 2 sites).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 06:27:26.979831; 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).