UK Waters Phytoplankton Cell Counts from SmartBuoy Network 2001-2017

2001-2017 phytoplankton cell abundance data collected from automated SmartBuoy moorings at five locations in UK waters. Samples were preserved with Lugols Iodine and analyzed using the Utermohl method on inverted microscopes. The dataset was provided by the Government Digital Service.

Use Cases

• Modeling phytoplankton bloom dynamics based on long-term cell count time series.
• Assessing marine ecosystem health based on phytoplankton community composition.
• Analyzing spatial differences in phytoplankton abundance across the five UK mooring sites.
• Studying long-term environmental change in coastal waters based on a 17-year observational record.

Strengths

• Data spans 17 consecutive years (2001-2017), enabling long-term trend analysis.
• Standardized collection method using automated samplers and the Utermohl analysis technique.
• Geographic coverage includes five distinct mooring sites in UK waters.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Automated water sampling from SmartBuoy moorings, with laboratory analysis using the Utermohl method.

Time Range

2001-2017

Freshness

Data covers up to 2017; last update date for the dataset is unknown.

Geography

UK waters, specifically Celtic Deep, Dowsing, Gabbard/West Gabbard/WestGabbard2, Warp, and Liverpool Bay.