Chlorophyll a is the most commonly used indicator of phytoplankton biomass and is a proxy for primary productivity in the marine environment. It is relatively simple and cost effective to measure when compared to phytoplankton abundance and is thus routinely included in many surveys. Here we collate 173,333 records of chlorophyll a collected since 1965 from Australian waters gathered from researchers, from regular coastal monitoring surveys to long ocean voyages. This dataset concentrates on samples analysed using spectrophotometry, fluorometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The Australian Chlorophyll a database is freely available through the Australian Ocean Data Network portal (http://imos.aodn.org.au/). These data can be used in isolation as an index of phytoplankton biomass or in combination with other data to provide insight into water quality, ecosystem state, and / or the relationships with other trophic levels such as zooplankton or fish.

Zooplankton biomass data have been collected in Australian waters since the 1930s, yet most datasets have been unavailable to the research community. We have searched archives, contacted researchers, and scanned the primary and grey literature to collate this dataset of marine zooplankton biomass from Australian waters, within the geographical extents of 0-60S, 100-160E. Many of these are small-scale datasets , when combined, they provide over 85 years of large-scale zooplankton community biomass data for Australian waters from 1932 to the present. The data have been standardised, erroneous data removed, and all metadata included. We have lodged this dataset with the Australian Ocean Data Network (http://imos.aodn.org.au/), allowing full public access. The Australian Zooplankton Biomass Database will be invaluable for global change studies, research assessing trophic level linkages, and for initialising and assessing biogeochemical and ecosystem models of lower marine trophic levels. A snapshot of the Australian Zooplankton Biomass Database as of early 2020 (2020-04) has been assigned a DOI and will be maintained in perpetuity by the Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN). The ongoing version of this database will be freely available through the AODN Portal (http://portal.aodn.org.au/) in the near future. The relevant dataset at AODN is described here: http://catalogue-rc.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/metadata.show?uuid=64533cd3-0a63-4152-823b-852b1901d6c9 This is the bibliographic reference for the dataset and the AODN metadata record that describes it: McEnnulty FR, Davies CH, Armstrong AO, Atkins N, Coman F, Clementson L, Edgar S, Eriksen RS, Everett JD, Koslow JA, Longborg C, McKinnon AD, Miller M, O’Brien TD, Pausina SA, Uribe-Palomino J, Rochester W, Rothlisberg PC, Slotwinski A, Strzelecki J, Suthers IM, Swadling KM, Tonks ML, van Ruth PD, Young JW, Richardson AJ (2019), The Australian Zooplankton Biomass Database (1932 - 2019). Australian Ocean Data Network - DOI: 10.26198/5c4170d42ab24 (http://dx.doi.org/10.26198/5c4170d42ab24).

This dataset comprises the zooplankton abundance estimates of a broader sampling program carried out by the National Reference Stations (NRS) within the Integrated Marine Observing system. Regular monthly zooplankton samples are undertaken at the stations as part of a larger water sampling program by the National Reference Stations. In total nine stations are sampled regularly around the Australian coastline. Sampling is conducted monthly (Esperance and Ningaloo 3 monthly) off small vessels at each of the nine reference stations. The sampling is conducted using a drop net (as per the design of Heron) which has a 60 cm diameter, 100 micron mesh and is weighted to fall at 1 m/s. The net is designed to pull closed at the end of its fall so that it samples on the way down and does not sample on the way up. The depth of the sample varies at each station. 3 zooplankton samples are taken each month. 2 are fixed in formalin and will be analysed as described below. The unfixed sample is concentrated and frozen (-80oC)and will be used for molecular analysis in the future. The Port Hacking 4 (PH4) samples (2002 - Jan 2009) were sampled using a smaller net, 20 cm diameter, which sampled on the way up and down. The PH4 site is very close to the Port Hacking national reference station (PHB) where samples are now taken to build up and enhance the time series. The plankton ecology lab (based in Queensland) will analyse the samples collected for: 1. Community composition (Taxon/m3) 2. Biomass (dry weight in mg/m3) 3. Size spectrum analysis using zooscan (in progress) Data storage and access is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs through the IMOS Infrastructure. Station metadata can be found through this resource. Data is available freely via the AODN portal: https://portal.aodn.org.au. As the taxonomic resolution of the data has changed over time, due to continual training, it is important that users refer to the change log tables included in your data download. These will provide information on the validity of the taxa, from what date we have been identifying certain taxa etc. Classification fields may be blank depending on the level to which that taxa has been identified, i.e. if only identified to family, genus and species will be blank.

This dataset comprises the biomass sampling component of a broader sampling program carried out by the Plankton National Reference Station within the Integrated Marine Observing system. Regular monthly zooplankton samples are undertaken at the stations as part of a larger water sampling program by the National Reference Stations. In total nine stations are sampled regularly around the Australian coastline. Sampling is conducted monthly (Esperance and Ningaloo 3 monthly) off small vessels at each of the nine reference stations. The sampling is conducted using a drop net (as per the design of Heron) which has a 60 cm diameter, 100 micron mesh and is weighted to fall at 1 m/s. The net is designed to pull closed at the end of its fall so that it samples on the way down and does not sample on the way up. The depth of the sample varies at each station. 3 zooplankton samples are taken each month. 2 are fixed in formalin and will be analysed as described below. The unfixed sample is concentrated and frozen (-80 deg C)and will be used for molecular analysis in the future. The Port Hacking 4 (PH4) samples (2002 - Jan 2009) were sampled using a smaller net, 20 cm diameter, which sampled on the way up and down. The PH4 site is very close to the Port Hacking national reference station (PHB) where samples are now taken to build up and enhance the time series. The plankton ecology lab (based in Queensland) will analyse the samples collected for: 1. Community composition (Taxon/m3) 2. Biomass (dry weight in mg/m3) 3. Size spectrum analysis using zooscan (in progress) Data storage and access is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs through the IMOS Infrastructure. Station metadata can be found through this resource. Data is available freely via the AODN portal: https://portal.aodn.org.au.

Regular monthly zooplankton samples are undertaken at the stations as part of a larger water sampling program by the National Reference Stations. In total nine stations are sampled regularly around the Australian coastline. Sampling is conducted monthly (Esperance and Ningaloo 3 monthly) off small vessels at each of the nine reference stations. The sampling is conducted using a drop net (as per the design of Heron) which has a 60 cm diameter, 100 micron mesh and is weighted to fall at 1 m/s. The net is designed to pull closed at the end of its fall so that it samples on the way down and does not sample on the way up. The depth of the sample varies at each station. 3 zooplankton samples are taken each month. 2 are fixed in formalin and will be analysed as described below. The unfixed sample is concentrated and frozen (-80oC)and will be used for molecular analysis in the future. The Port Hacking 4 (PH4) samples (2002 - Jan 2009) were sampled using a smaller net, 20 cm diameter, which sampled on the way up and down. The PH4 site is very close to the Port Hacking national reference station (PHB) where samples are now taken to build up and enhance the time series. The plankton ecology lab (based in Queensland) will analyse the samples collected for: 1. Community composition (Taxon/m3) 2. Biomass (dry weight in mg/m3) 3. Size spectrum analysis using zooscan (in progress). Data storage and access is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs through the IMOS Infrastructure. Station metadata can be found through this resource. Data is available freely via the AODN portal: https://portal.aodn.org.au. Station metadata can be found through this resource.

This dataset comprises the phytoplankton abundance and biovolume estimates of a broader sampling program carried out by the Plankton National Reference Station within the Integrated Marine Observing system. Regular monthly phytoplankton samples are undertaken at the stations as part of a larger water sampling program by the Australian National Reference Stations. In total nine stations are sampled regularly around the Australian coastline. Sampling is conducted monthly (Esperance and Ningaloo 3 monthly) off small vessels at each of the nine reference stations. The sampling is an integrated water sample collected with niskin bottles at 10m depth intervals and preserved in lugols solution. The depth of the sample varies at each station. The plankton ecology lab (based in Queensland) will analyse the samples collected for: 1. Community composition / abundance (cells/l) 2. Biovolume (um3/L). Data storage and access is planned to be interoperable with other national and international programs through the IMOS Infrastructure. Station metadata can be found through this resource. Data is available freely via the AODN portal: https://portal.aodn.org.au. As the taxonomic resolution of the data has changed over time, due to continual training, it is important that users refer to the change log tables included in your data download. These will provide information on the validity of the taxa, from what date we have been identifying certain taxa etc. Classification fields may be blank depending on the level to which that taxa has been identified, i.e. if only identified to family, genus and species will be blank.