This dataset comprises the zooplankton abundance estimates analysed from samples collected as part of the Integrated Marine Observing Systems (IMOS) National Mooring Network - National Reference Station (NRS) field sampling. Regular monthly zooplankton 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 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 identifing 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. Additional information for this dataset may be available via the original MarLIN metadata entry: https://marlin.csiro.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/c13451a9-7cfe-091c-e044-00144f7bc0f4. For information on using the data please refer to Eriksen et al. 2019. It is advised that anyone using this data should read this methodology or contact the project contact person. The data are made available in binned products for ease of use. As taxonomy changes over time and the ability of analysts improves with training more and more species are able to be identified over time. The products account for these changes and for real absences from the samples. A 0 abundance means that the species was looked for and not seen, -999 means that the species was not looked for in that sample. The products are therefore applicable for use in time series analysis. There are 5 products to choose from: Raw product (includes all data); Copepod species file (includes all copepod data where species have been identified); Non copepod species file (includes all non copepod data where species have been identified); Genus product (includes all data binned to genus level); Higher taxonomic group (includes all data binned to functional groups). The binned and pivoted products described are currently only available by contacting imos-plankton@csiro.au. A project to make these products available directly via the portal is under way. This collection currently only provides direct access to the raw data in "flat table" form (separate row for each taxon in each sample). This dataset has been superseded by the "IMOS - Zooplankton Abundance and Biomass (reference stations)" collection that is available at https://catalogue-imos.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/api/records/bc14672f-c007-408e-972b-684d8415dae8 (this collection was removed from the AODN Portal in December 2021).
