This metadata record describes chlorophyll fluorescence and turbidity time-series data collected through in situ monitoring by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Monitoring Program for Inshore Water Quality (MMP WQ). A full description of the MMP WQ and its associated datasets can be found in the parent metadata record linked above.

Continuous in situ chlorophyll fluorescence and turbidity were measured using WET Labs ECO FLNTUSB Combination Fluorometer and Turbidity Sensors. The MMP WQ currently has instruments deployed at 19 sites summarised by Natural Resource Management (NRM) region below. The date ranges of instrument deployments are also shown; some sites were discontinued in 2014 but data are still available for download.

Cape York NRM:

Annan-Endeavour focus region: Forrester Reef (2020-present), Dawson Reef (2020-present)

Wet Tropics NRM:

Barron-Daintree focus region: Snapper Island North (2007-2014)

Russell-Mulgrave focus region: Fitzroy Island West (2007-present), High Island West (2007-present), Russell-Mulgrave River mooring (2015-present), Frankland West (2007-present)

Tully focus region: Dunk Island North (2007-present), Tully River mooring (2015-present)

Burdekin NRM: Pelorus (2007-present), Pandora (2007-present), Geoffrey Bay (2007-present), Burdekin River mooring (2015-present)

Mackay Whitsunday NRM: Double Cone Island (2007-present), Daydream Island (2007-2014), Pine Island (2007-present), Seaforth Island (2015-present), Repulse Island dive mooring (2015-2021), O'Connell River mooring (2021-present)

Fitzroy NRM (monitored 2005-2014 under MMP WQ, 2020-present under Fitzroy Basin program): Pelican Island (2007-2015), Humpy Island (2007-2015, 2021-present), Barren Island (2007-2015, 2021-present), Fitzroy River mouth (2021-present).

Instruments are deployed for approximately 4 months at a time at 5 m below the water's surface. They collect one sample every 10 minutes, where each data point is calculated as the mean of 50 instantaneous burst readings. Pre- and post-deployment checks of each instrument include measurements of the maximum fluorescence response and the dark count (instrument response with no external fluorescence, essentially the ‘zero’ point). Factory servicing and calibration checks are performed at the WET Labs facility in the USA after 12-18 months of in-water deployment time. After retrieval, the instruments are cleaned and data downloaded and converted from raw instrumental records into measurement units (µg L-1 for chlorophyll fluorescence and NTU for turbidity) according to the standard procedures of the manufacturer. Deployment information and all raw and converted instrumental records are stored in an Oracle-based data management system developed by AIMS. Detailed procedures for data handling can be found the MMP WQ's QA/QC Reports (see link below in Related Information).

Instrument data are validated against concurrently-collected water samples. Water samples for analyses of chlorophyll a and total suspended solids are collected three times per year to calibrate logger fluorescence and turbidity to in situ conditions. Diver-operated Niskin bottles are used to sample close to the moored loggers and samples are preserved and analysed in the same manner as ship-based water samples (see link below in Related Information).

Instruments in the Cape York region are deployed at 3 m below the surface and have different processing and servicing procedures than other regions. These procedures are detailed in the files containing instrument data, linked below.

Instrument data can be downloaded in hourly or daily averaged formats (see links below in Data Downloads).