IMOS NRS: Australian Coastal Water Clarity Measurements from 2008

Nine coastal sites around Australia provide measurements of Secchi depth and total suspended solids. Sampling began between September 2008 and November 2010 and is ongoing at seven sites, with monthly collection from small vessels. The dataset is managed by the Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) National Mooring Network and superseded by a combined biogeochemical collection in 2022.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal turbidity trends based on total suspended solids measurements.
• Analyzing long-term water clarity changes based on Secchi depth time-series data.
• Comparing biogeochemical conditions across different Australian coastal regions.
• Validating satellite-derived ocean color data with in-situ water quality measurements.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over a decade, starting from 2008-2010.
• Covers nine distinct coastal sites around Australia, providing geographic diversity.
• Incorporates historical data from CSIRO coastal monitoring programs dating back to 1944 for three sites.

Limitations

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• The dataset has been superseded by a newer collection, indicating it may not be the current version.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

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 samples analyzed for Secchi depth and total suspended solids.

Time Range

2008-09-29 to ongoing (with sampling ceased at two sites in 2013).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-04 23:44:38.734152; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nine coastal sites in 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).