Dataset of phytoplankton abundance in the coastal area of Pulau Tinggi, Johor and Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

This dataset describes the abundance of phytoplankton community structures in Port Dickson and Pulau Tinggi, Malaysia during the Southwest and Northeast Monsoons and includes data from 48 selected sampling sites. Sampling activity in Pulau Tinggi was conducted in August 2023 (station PT1 – PT10). Meanwhile, sampling activities at Port Dickson have been done during the Southwest (SW) monsoon (station S1 - S21) and Northwest (NW) monsoon (station S22 – S38). The sampling activities have been done during low to moderate wind speeds (0.11 to 6.07 m/s). The seawater samples from 1-meter depth were obtained by using a Niskin water sampler, concentrated in a 50 mL centrifuge tube and immediately preserved with Lugol’s iodine solution. The data include phytoplankton density (cell L−1), the total density of phytoplankton in each station, and the total number of genera obtained in every station. The dataset presents data on 30 genera, including unidentified genera, as well as the percentage of the main community group. Data can serve as a point of reference for the analysis of phytoplankton variability in the coastal area and continental shelf of Peninsular Malaysia. Data can be used to explain the potential sources of surface-active substances and biogenic volatile organic compounds emissions from the surface ocean. A comparative study of the phytoplankton population in Port Dickson and Pulau Tinggi can be conducted from these datasets.