This dataset contains data collected by the Australian Continuous Plankton Recorder (AusCPR) survey and is funded by IMOS (Ships of Opportunity sub-facility) and CSIRO. The aims of the AusCPR survey are to: * map plankton biodiversity and distribution * develop the first long-term plankton baseline for Australian waters * document plankton changes in response to climate change * provide indices for fisheries management * detect harmful algal blooms * validate satellite remote sensing * initialise and test ecosystem models. The survey conducts repeat tows in the GBR, the East Australian Current and down to the Southern Ocean Time Series Mooring (SOTS). Other routes are conducted on an adhoc nature around Australia. The dataset also contains phytoplankton data from the UTAS / AAD led Southern Ocean CPR (SOCPR) project which is also funded by IMOS. The datasets available in this collection include Phytoplankton Colour Index (an estimate of chlorophyll in the water), phytoplankton abundance, zooplankton abundance and a biomass index from AusCPR and phytoplankton abundance from SOCPR. This data are freely available through the AODN portal: https://portal.aodn.org.au. This data is freely available but please acknowledge all relevant parties, as detailed in acknowledgement section.

ESRI grids showing sea salinity, linearly interpolated from CARS2000 mean and seasonal fields to 0.1 degree spaced grid, at depths of 0, 150, 500, 1000 and 2000 metres. The loess filter used to create CARS2000 resolves at each point a mean value and a sinusoid with 1 year period (and in some cases a 6 month period sinusoid - the "semi-annual cycle".) The provided "annual amplitude" is simply the magnitude of that annual sinusoid. CARS is a set of seasonal maps of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate and silicate, generated using Loess mapping from all available oceanographic data in the region. It covers the region 100-200E, 50-0S, on a 0.5 degree grid, and on 56 standard depth levels. Higher resolution versions are also available for the Australian continental shelf. The data was obtained from the World Ocean Atlas 98 and CSIRO Marine and NIWA archives. It was designed to improve on the Levitus WOA98 Atlas, in the Australian region. CARS2000 is derived from ocean cast data, which is always measured above the sea floor. However, for properties which do not change rapidly near the sea floor, this would not lead to a significant error. All the limitations of CARS2000 also apply here.

Salinity, linearly interpolated from CARS2000 mean and seasonal fields to 0.1 degree spaced grid, at depths of 0, 150, 500, 1000 and 2000 metres. The loess filter used to create CARS2000 resolves at each point a mean value and a sinusoid with 1 year period (and in some cases a 6 month period sinusoid - the "semi-annual cycle".) The provided "annual amplitude" is simply the magnitude of that annual sinusoid. CARS is a set of seasonal maps of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate and silicate, generated using Loess mapping from all available oceanographic data in the region. It covers the region 100-200E, 50-0S, on a 0.5 degree grid, and on 56 standard depth levels. Higher resolution versions are also available for the Australian continental shelf. The data was obtained from the World Ocean Atlas 98 and CSIRO Marine and NIWA archives. It was designed to improve on the Levitus WOA98 Atlas, in the Australian region.

These data, reported in various volumes of CSIRO's "Oceanographic Station List" series between 1957 and 1962, comprise mainly measurements of surface temperature, salinity (as chlorinity), and (in later stages) phosphate from sea surface samples collected by merchant ships in Bass Strait and surrounding waters. Vessels contributing t the sampling program include TSS "Taroona" and "Princess of Tasmania, SS "Talune", and MVs "Claire Crouch", "Denman", Century", "Jillian Crouch", "Lorinna", "Marra", "Pateena", "Poolta", "Risdon", and "Wareatea". Sampling began in December 1954 and was still in progress December 1960, the last date for which data were published in this series. The merchant vessel sampling program was carried out at a time when the CSIRO Division of Fisheries had no dedicated ocean-going research vessel, as a means of acquiring information about offshore waters. In the volumes cited, similar data are also reported from the Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, and the south-east Indian Ocean.

These data, reported in CSIRO's "Oceanographic Station List" series in 1957, comprise mainly measurements of surface temperature, and salinity (as chlorinity), from sea surface samples collected by the merchant ships MV "Dulverton", MV "Kabbarli" and MV "Duntroon". Sampling was only carried out in one year (1956). The merchant vessel sampling program was carried out at a time when the CSIRO Division of Fisheries had no dedicated ocean-going research vessel, as a means of acquiring information about offshore waters. In the volumes cited, similar data are also reported from the Tasman Sea, Coral Sea, and south-eastern Australian waters and Bass Strait.

These data, reported in various volumes of CSIRO's "Oceanographic Station List" series between 1955 and 1962, comprise mainly measurements of surface temperature, salinity (as chlorinity), and (in later stages) phosphate from sea surface samples collected by the merchant ship TSMV "Wanganella" on regular runs between Sydney and Auckland or Wellengton, New Zealand. Sampling began in December 1952 and was still in progress December 1960, the last date for which data were published in this series. The merchant vessel sampling program was carried out at a time when the CSIRO Division of Fisheries had no dedicated ocean-going research vessel, as a means of acquiring information about offshore waters. In the volumes cited, similar data are also reported from the Coral Sea, south-eastern Australian waters and Bass Strait, and the south-east Indian Ocean.

These data, reported in various volumes of CSIRO's "Oceanographic Station List" series between 1957 and 1962, comprise mainly measurements of surface temperature, salinity (as chlorinity), and (in later stages) phosphate from sea surface samples collected by the merchant ships MV "Tulagi" and MV "Malaita" on regular runs between Australia's east coast and New Caledonia via Norfolk Island ("Tulagi") and New Guinea ("Malaita"). Sampling began in 1955 and was still in progress December 1960, the last date for which data were published in this series. The merchant vessel sampling program was carried out at a time when the CSIRO Division of Fisheries had no dedicated ocean-going research vessel, as a means of acquiring information about offshore waters. In the volumes cited, similar data are also reported from the Tasman Sea, south-eastern Australian waters and Bass Strait, and the south-east Indian Ocean.

This dataset contains log sheets recorded during on Sprightly cruise SP 09/76. The cruise took place in WA coastal waters off Freemantle 9th - 11th February 1976. Log sheets include Station Locations, Cruise Diary, Hydrology Surface Sample Log Sheet, Inductive Salinometer log sheet, Meteorology Log. These documents have been scanned to PDF, and are available via the data link in this record. Additional information regarding this dataset is contained in the cruise report for this voyage.