Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentration, Dissolved Organic Matter Optical Properties, and Water Quality Indicators in the Plum Island Estuary (PIE), Massachusetts, USA (2018-2023)

This is a data set of paired in situ measurements of water quality parameters, total suspended solids concentration, and concentration and optical properties (absorption coefficient spectra and fluorescence indices) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) collected between 2018 and 2023 in the Plum Island Estuary and nearshore waters. In situ water quality measurements (salinity, temperature, optical dissolved oxygen saturation, turbidity, and dissolved organic matter fluorescence) were collected with a water quality sonde from the surface (top 1 m of water column), along with corresponding samples that were processed and analyzed in the lab for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, chromophoric DOM (CDOM), absorption coefficient spectra, DOM excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence, and total suspended sediment (TSS) concentration. The data were used in multiple studies (see manuscripts listed below) focusing on the dynamics of DOC and CDOM in the Plum Island Estuary.