IMOS - Phytoplankton Abundance and Biovolume (CPR)

9 analysis-ready data products provide phytoplankton abundance, biovolume, and colour index measurements from Continuous Plankton Recorder surveys. The data, managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network, distinguishes between true absences and unexamined species, making it suitable for time-series analysis. The first version of these products was published on 21/12/2018.

Use Cases

• Conduct time-series analysis of phytoplankton populations based on the analysis-ready binned products.
• Estimate chlorophyll levels in water based on the Phytoplankton Colour Index (PCI) scale.
• Study taxonomic shifts over time based on data binned at species, genus, and functional group levels.
• Compare phytoplankton community structure between the Australian Plankton Survey and the Southern Ocean survey.

Strengths

• 9 distinct analysis-ready products are available for different research needs.
• Data distinguishes between zero abundance (looked for, not seen) and null (not looked for), improving accuracy for time-series analysis.
• Products are binned at four taxonomic levels (raw, species, genus, functional group) plus derived indices.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified as the last metadata update is dated 2026-06-28.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Collected via Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) surveys from the Australian Plankton Survey (AusCPR) and the Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey (SO-CPR).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-28 04:20:43.566882

Geography

Australian and Southern Ocean waters