Phytoplankton Pigment Measurements from Antarctic BROKE Voyage

Antarctic ocean data contains phytoplankton pigment concentrations collected during the 1995-1996 BROKE voyage aboard the Aurora Australis. The dataset was supplied by Dr. Simon Wright and later converted into a database by Natalie Kelly in 2005. It includes both standard CTD program samples and opportunistic non-standard samples.

Use Cases

• Analyze phytoplankton community composition using pigment concentration columns like chlorophylls and carotenoids.
• Correlate pigment data from the 'Standard_sample_source' table with environmental conditions from the CTD program.
• Investigate assumptions tested via opportunistic sampling using data in the 'Non_standard_sample_source' table and the 'Sample_source' column.
• Study spatial distribution of phytoplankton in the Antarctic region using station or location identifiers.
• Validate or compare pigment measurement methodologies between standard and non-standard sample sources.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated Antarctic research voyage (BROKE) providing a focused regional snapshot.
• Dataset structure includes both a raw spreadsheet and a converted database with descriptive tables for clarity.

Limitations

• Sample size is unknown, potentially limiting statistical power for broad conclusions.
• Data documentation notes uncertainty regarding whether CTD column numbers correspond to Station Numbers, requiring verification.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a single summer season (1995 1996), not capturing multi-year trends.

Provenance

Source

Dr. Simon Wright, data converted by Natalie Kelly for the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC).

Collection Method

Collected via CTD program and opportunistic sampling during the BROKE research voyage.

Time Range

1995 1996 austral summer season.

Freshness

null

Geography

Antarctic ocean region covered by the BROKE voyage.