UK Waters Phytoplankton Cell Counts from SmartBuoy Network 2020-2023

2020 to August 2023 phytoplankton data collected from SmartBuoy moorings at Dowsing, WestGabbard2, Warp, and Liverpool Bay in UK waters. The Marine Environmental Data & Information Network provides cell abundance values in cells per litre, analyzed using the Utermohl method on inverted microscopes. Samples were collected using automated water samplers and a CTD rosette to reduce data gaps.

Use Cases

• Modeling phytoplankton bloom dynamics based on time-series cell counts.
• Assessing water quality and ecosystem health based on phytoplankton community composition.
• Calibrating satellite ocean color data based on in-situ phytoplankton abundance measurements.
• Studying seasonal and interannual variability of marine microalgae based on multi-year observations.

Strengths

• Data spans over three years from 2020 to August 2023.
• Covers four specific monitoring locations in UK waters: Dowsing, WestGabbard2, Warp, and Liverpool Bay.
• Describes a mitigation strategy for data gaps using CTD rosette sampling during mooring turnarounds.
• Reports quantified abundance values in cells per litre.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the UK monitoring network.

Provenance

Source

Marine Environmental Data & Information Network

Collection Method

Samples collected from SmartBuoy moorings using WMS and EDU automated water samplers and a CTD rosette, then analyzed with the Utermohl method on inverted microscopes.

Time Range

2020 - August 2023

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-22 19:10:53.249339; freshness should be verified.

Geography

UK waters, specifically Dowsing, WestGabbard2, Warp, and Liverpool Bay.