Water quality and plankton counts at MMP sites in the Burdekin flood plume, February to March 2019, and dry-season follow-up, May-July 2019

This data set contains water quality, conductivity/temperature/depth (CTD) profiles, pigment, phytoplankton and zooplankton counts from sampling undertaken in the Burdekin River flood plume in the aftermath of the large flood event in February 2019. The February 2019 flood event provided an opportunity to undertake additional water quality and plankton sampling to shed light on ecosystem processes in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in coastal waters affected by flood plumes. In the aftermath of the flood plume (in March 2019 while flood waters persisted and again in July 2019 to provide a dry-season comparison), additional water samples, CTD profiles and plankton samples were taken at sites near the mouth of the Burdekin River that are part of the regular GBRMPA Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) and IMOS (Yongala National Reference Station) monitoring programs. Sampling was undertaken in February and July 2019 at sites near the mouth of the Burdekin River that form part of the routine GBRMPA Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) for water quality, as well as at the IMOS Yongala National Reference Station (Erikson, 2019). Measurements taken in the field included latitude, longitude, time of sampling and CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) profiles. Water quality samples were taken to AIMS or JCU laboratories and analysed using standard Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) protocols. Full details of sampling and analysis methods are provided by Gruber at al. (2020). Water quality variables measured included CDOM (coloured dissolved organic matter), chlorophyll a concentration, DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon), DIP (dissolved inorganic phosphorus), DOC (dissolved organic phosphorus), NH4 (ammoinium), NO2 (nitrite), NO3 (nitrate), Phaeophytin, PN (particulate nitrogen), POC (particulate organic carbon), PP (particulate phosphorus), salinity (by salinometer), Si (dissolved silica), SS (total suspended solids), total alkalinity, TDN (total dissolved nitrogen), TDP (total dissolved phosphorus), and temperature. In addition, samples were analysed to determine pigment concentrations. Phytoplankton and zooplankton samples were taken at the same sites and analysed by CSIRO. Phytoplankton samples were taken according to IMOS protocols (Erikson, 2019) and microscopically identified – where possible, to species. Zooplankton were identified from sub-samples of phytoplankton bottle samples. Phytoplankton were also measured by flow cytometry, at two depths at each site (subsurface and near-bottom). Metadata (on its own sheet) and water quality results are provided in the Excel workbook, “Flood_plume_WQ_data.xlsx” Pigment results and corresponding metadata are provided in the workbook, “WQF_BurdekinFlood_pigment_results.xlsx”. Plankton counts (both phytoplankton and zooplankton) are provided in the Excel spreadsheet, “Burdekin_River_plankton_counts.xlsx”. Site names and sample numbers in this spreadsheet are the same as site names (and corresponding location details) in the water quality and pigment result spreadsheets. Flow cytometry phytoplankton counts are provided in the Excel spreadsheet, “WQF_BurdekinFlood_flowcytometry_results.xlsx”. Results are in numbers (of individual phytoplankton or zooplankton) per mL.

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Published (Metadata Record) 03/03/2026
Last updated 04/03/2026
Organisation Australian Federal Government
License License Not Specified
Update Frequency Unknown