IMOS National Reference Station Total Suspended Solids and Secchi Depth Measurements

Monthly sampling from 2008 to present for seven Australian coastal sites, with historical data extending back to 1944 for three locations. The dataset comprises measurements of Secchi Depth and Total Suspended Solids (inorganic and organic components) collected by the Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) National Mooring Network. Data storage and access is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs through the IMOS Infrastructure.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal water clarity based on Secchi Depth measurements.
• Analyzing trends in Total Suspended Solids (organic and inorganic) over time.
• Comparing historical coastal monitoring data (pre-2008) with ongoing IMOS observations.
• Studying regional differences in marine biogeochemistry across nine Australian sites.

Strengths

• Includes long-term historical data series, with records for three sites dating back to 1944, 1951, and 1953.
• Covers nine distinct coastal monitoring stations around Australia, providing geographic breadth.
• Sampling is conducted monthly, providing a regular time-series for seven ongoing sites.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Sampling ceased at two sites (Ningaloo and Esperance) in 2013, creating incomplete time-series for those locations.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field sampling conducted monthly from small vessels as part of the IMOS National Mooring Network.

Time Range

2008 to present for IMOS data; historical data from 1944 to 2010.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 04:15:01.627508; 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 100 (NSW).