fmars-06-00161 April 11, 2019 Time: 17:41 # 1 METHODS published: 12 April 2019 doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00161 Australia’s Long-Term Plankton Observations: The Integrated Marine Observing System National Reference Station Network Ruth S. Eriksen1,2*, Claire H. Davies1, Pru Bonham1, Frank E. Coman3, Steven Edgar3, Felicity R. McEnnulty1, David McLeod1, Margaret J. Miller3, Wayne Rochester3, Anita Slotwinski3, Mark L. Tonks3, Julian Uribe-Palomino3 and Anthony J. Richardson3,4 1 CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, TAS, Australia, 2 Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia, 3 CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 4 Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics (CARM), University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia The Integrated Marine Observing System National Reference Station network provides unprecedented open access to species-level phytoplankton and zooplankton data Edited by: Jay S. Pearlman, for researchers, managers and policy makers interested in resource condition, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics detecting and understanding the magnitude and time-scales of change in our marine Engineers, France environment. We describe how to access spatial and temporal plankton data collected Reviewed by: from the seven reference stations located around the Australian coastline, and a Todd D. O’Brien, National Oceanic and Atmospheric summary of the associated physical and chemical parameters measured that help in Administration (NOAA), United States the interpretation of plankton data. Details on the rationale for site locations, sampling Patricia Miloslavich, University of Tasmania, Australia methodologies and laboratory analysis protocols are provided to assist with use of the *Correspondence: data, and design of complimentary investigations. Information on taxonomic entities Ruth S. Eriksen reported in the plankton database, and changes in taxonomic nomenclature and other [email protected] issues that may affect data interpretation, are included. Data from more than 1250 Specialty section: plankton samples are freely available via the Australian Ocean Data Network portal and This article was submitted to we encourage uptake and use of this continental-scale dataset, giving summaries of Ocean Observation, data currently available and some practical applications. The full methods manual that a section of the journal Frontiers in Marine Science includes sampling and analysis protocols for the Integrated Marine Observing System Received: 21 December 2018 Biogeochemical Operations can be found on-line. Accepted: 14 March 2019 Published: 12 April 2019 Keywords: phytoplankton, zooplankton, NRS, IMOS, monitoring, spatial, temporal, species Citation: Eriksen RS, Davies CH, Bonham P, Coman FE, Edgar S, 1. INTRODUCTION McEnnulty FR, McLeod D, Miller MJ, Rochester W, Slotwinski A, Tonks ML, As impacts of global change on our oceans intensify, the value of long-term biological and Uribe-Palomino J and Richardson AJ oceanographic observations program for monitoring, understanding and predicting human (2019) Australia’s Long-Term Plankton impacts is increasingly recognised (Edwards et al., 2010; Hofman et al., 2013; Lynch et al., 2014). Observations: The Integrated Marine The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) recommends sustained, routine and high-quality Observing System National Reference multi-disciplinary observations at a range of spatial and temporal scales that support scientific Station Network. Front. Mar. Sci. 6:161. understanding, and management decisions about resource condition and sustainable use of our doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00161 marine and coastal systems (Palacz et al., 2017). Whilst physical and chemical data collection Frontiers in Marine Science| www.frontiersin.org 1 April 2019| Volume 6| Article 161 fmars-06-00161 April 11, 2019 Time: 17:41 # 2 Eriksen et al. Using IMOS NRS Plankton Data and distribution has benefitted enormously from advances in the timing of seasonal blooms (Edwards and Richardson, 2004). technology (Marcelli et al., 2012), and international collaborative Long-term records are thus critical for detecting shifting program (Hood, 2009; Palacz et al., 2017), biological datasets or uncharacteristic temporal and spatial plankton cycles with sufficient taxonomic resolution to detect change are (Thompson et al., 2009; Johnson et al., 2011; Ajani et al., 2014). still relatively sparse, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. There are a number of unique challenges in the routine Australia in particular has had few sustained (>10 years) collection and analysis of biological samples compared with data biological monitoring program (Lynch et al., 2014), which from sensor or laboratory measurements of physico-chemical capture the wide range of ecosystems present (tropical, sub- parameters. These include issues around quantitative sampling tropical, temperate, sub-Antarctic) and the influence of the of patchy communities whose individuals can exhibit different different water masses on species diversity and abundance. behaviours over space and time, and representative preservation Such datasets are critical for development of knowledge of biological material for later analysis. As each species has a and understanding in a range of areas, including but not unique environmental niche, many of the questions associated limited to: establishing baselines for assessment of regional and with global change require that organisms are identified to global change, testing of ecological theory, supporting marine the lowest possible taxonomic level, preferably to species. management and research, and provision of data for ecosystem Microscopic analysis can be time-consuming, with a need assessments of resource condition, biodiversity, climate change for a high level of training of specialist taxonomists and impacts and other anthropogenic drivers of change. para-taxonomists to consistently and accurately identify and quantify taxa from diverse biological communities. These unique challenges to sampling biology have contributed to the sparsity of 1.1 Rationale for Australia’s National long-term plankton records, despite their acknowledged value for Reference Station Network ocean observation systems (Edwards et al., 2010). The Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Nine NRS formed the original continental-scale observation commenced in 2007 (Hill et al., 2010; Lynch et al., 2011) and network in IMOS (Table 1). The core of the NRS network are includes the establishment of the National Reference Stations the three historical physico-chemical coastal stations that have (NRS) – see Figure 1 for locations. The NRS are part of the been sampled monthly since the 1940s and 1950s: Port Hacking Australian National Mooring Network, a long-term network of (PHB, New South Wales), Maria Island (MAI, Tasmania) and sites at the continental scale providing high-quality physical, Rottnest Island (ROT, Western Australia) (Lynch et al., 2014). chemical, and biological observations, with the aim of capturing In 2009, IMOS added six “new” NRS sites to this existing change in Australian coastal waters (Lara-Lopez et al., 2016). network: vis. Kangaroo Island (KAI, South Australia), Esperance, Details of site locations, mooring design, sensors, calibration and Ningaloo (ESP, NIN, Western Australia), Darwin (DAR, protocols, and water sampling regimes are described in Northern Territory), Yongala and North Stradbroke Island Lynch et al.(2014); details of the phytoplankton and zooplankton (YON, NSI, Queensland) (Figure 1 and Table 1). These “new” methodology and associated data are the focus of this paper. NRS were identified based on the principal ocean currents The IMOS NRS biological dataset provides species-level and associated marine environments of the Australian coastal information for both phytoplankton and zooplankton, as region, the strong latitudinal gradients observed in plankton well as related physical and chemical parameters. Data on communities, the identified phytoplankton provinces, the phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition location of National Marine Reserves and IMOS research is critical for assessing lower trophic level and ecosystem themes, and identified priority regions (Hayes et al., 2005). responses to environmental change (Edwards et al., 2010), and Unfortunately, both Ningaloo and Esperance NRS were plankton are well established indicators for estuarine (Paerl discontinued in 2013 because these sites are the most remote et al., 2007), coastal (Klaiss et al., 2015) and oceanic systems from capital cities (>1,100 and >700 km, respectively) and thus (Richardson et al., 2006; Racault et al., 2014). Phytoplankton difficult to routinely service, leaving a network of seven sites. are sensitive to variations in the surrounding environment, as Even with the accepted value of the NRS network, maintaining they have specific temperature and light regimes (Miller, 2003; long-term monitoring sites through political and science funding Valdes-Weaver et al., 2006), and their high surface area to cycles is challenging. volume ratio enables rapid response to nutrient availability. Many phytoplankton have fast growth rates, resulting in often spectacular increases in biomass under favourable conditions 2. NATIONAL REFERENCE STATION (Smayda, 1990). Deviations from typical patterns of species BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE PROGRAM dominance and biomass through space and time can be used to detect anomalous conditions, range expansions and Protocols