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IMOS National Reference Stations: A Continental-Wide Physical, Chemical and Biological Coastal Observing System
Citation
Lynch, TP and Morello, EB and Evans, K and Richardson, AJ and Rochester, W and Steinberg, CR and Roughan, M and Thompson, P and Middleton, JF and Feng, M and Sherrington, R and Brando, V and Tilbrook, B and Ridgway, T and Allen, S and Doherty, P and Hill, K and Moltmann, T, IMOS National Reference Stations: A Continental-Wide Physical, Chemical and Biological Coastal Observing System, PLoS One, 9, (12) Article e113652. ISSN 1932-6203 (2014) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
DOI: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113652
Abstract
Sustained observations allow for the tracking of change in oceanography and
ecosystems, however, these are rare, particularly for the Southern Hemisphere. To
address this in part, the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)
implemented a network of nine National Reference Stations (NRS). The network
builds on one long-term location, where monthly water sampling has been
sustained since the 1940s and two others that commenced in the 1950s. In-situ
continuously moored sensors and an enhanced monthly water sampling regime
now collect more than 50 data streams. Building on sampling for temperature,
salinity and nutrients, the network now observes dissolved oxygen, carbon,
turbidity, currents, chlorophyll a and both phytoplankton and zooplankton.
Additional parameters for studies of ocean acidification and bio-optics are collected
at a sub-set of sites and all data is made freely and publically available. Our
preliminary results demonstrate increased utility to observe extreme events, such
as marine heat waves and coastal flooding; rare events, such as plankton blooms;
and have, for the first time, allowed for consistent continental scale sampling and
analysis of coastal zooplankton and phytoplankton communities. Independent
water sampling allows for cross validation of the deployed sensors for quality
control of data that now continuously tracks daily, seasonal and annual variation.
The NRS will provide multi-decadal time series, against which more spatially
replicated short-term studies can be referenced, models and remote sensing
products validated, and improvements made to our understanding of how largescale,
long-term change and variability in the global ocean are affecting Australia’s
coastal seas and ecosystems. The NRS network provides an example of how a
continental scaled observing systems can be developed to collect observations that
integrate across physics, chemistry and biology.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
| Research Group: | Oceanography |
| Research Field: | Oceanography not elsewhere classified |
| Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
| Objective Group: | Marine systems and management |
| Objective Field: | Measurement and assessment of marine water quality and condition |
| UTAS Author: | Hill, K (Dr Katy Hill) |
| UTAS Author: | Moltmann, T (Mr Tim Moltmann) |
| ID Code: | 100290 |
| Year Published: | 2014 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 53 |
| Deposited By: | Research Division |
| Deposited On: | 2015-05-08 |
| Last Modified: | 2017-11-01 |
| Downloads: | 439 View Download Statistics |
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