MARPOLMON: Marine Pollution Data for the Northwestern Pacific and Indian Ocean

Northwestern Pacific and Indian Ocean pollution data collected under the IOC Marine Pollution Monitoring Programme (MARPOLMON), which began in 1980. The dataset contains observations of oil slicks, tar balls, beach tar, and hydrocarbons, managed by the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) for the WESTPAC region. The last recorded update for this dataset was in 1989.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical trends in oil slicks and tar balls based on the pollution types mentioned in the description.
• Assess regional marine pollution problems based on the dataset's focus on monitoring pollution in parts of oceans on a global scale.
• Study pollution near marine discharge sites based on the description of sample collection locations.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of long-term monitoring programs based on the dataset's connection to the MARPOLMON project initiated in 1980.

Strengths

• Contains data from a long-running international monitoring program initiated in 1980.
• Focuses on specific pollution types: oil slicks, tar balls, beach tar, and hydrocarbons.
• Covers a defined geographic region: the Northwestern Pacific and Indian Ocean (WESTPAC).

Limitations

• Last updated 1989-12-31 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

IOC Marine Pollution Monitoring Programme (MARPOLMON), managed by the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) as a Regional National Oceanographic Data Centre.

Collection Method

Samples collected near marine discharge sites or during monitoring surveys of large ocean areas.

Time Range

Data collection began in 1980; last dataset update recorded in 1989.

Freshness

1989-12-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Northwestern Pacific and Indian Ocean (WESTPAC region).