IMOS National Reference Stations: a continental-wide physical, chemical and biological coastal observing system.

Tim P Lynch,Craig R Steinberg,Vittorio Brando,Wayne Rochester,Simon Allen,Robert Sherrington,Moninya Roughan,Elisabetta B Morello,John F Middleton,Katherine Hill,Karen Evans,Tim C Moltmann,Anthony J Richardson,Bronte Tilbrook,Peter Thompson,Ken Ridgway,Ming Feng,Peter Doherty

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 large-scale, 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.

Highlights

Human activities are intricately linked to coastal marine systems both directly and indirectly [1]
Measurements provided by the moored sensors of the National Reference Stations (NRS) allows for continuous monitoring of episodic events, which are common in coastal oceanography [1]
Salinity and turbidity sensors at the North Stradbroke Island NRS were deployed during large scale flooding events in 2010-11 [41, 42]

Summary

Introduction

Human activities are intricately linked to coastal marine systems both directly and indirectly [1] Multiple drivers such as climate, pollution and exploitation that vary in intensity and both spatial and temporal distributions are played out in the coastal sphere [2] and changes to coastal systems have flow-on effects. To detect and predict these impacts, the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) advocates sustained, routine and reliable observations on local, regional and global scales [4], to define short-term variability through longer-term change in system and ecosystem response [5]. Broad scale observing of coastal seas and sustained biological observations, are still relatively data poor [10]

Methods

Results

Conclusion