Biogeochemical climatology for the Southern Benguela Upwelling System, constructed from in situ monthly monitoring data collected from 2001 to 2012

A biogeochemical monthly climatology had been constructed for the Southern Benguela Upwelling System, from in situ data collected along a 10 station monitoring line, sampled at monthly intervals from 2001 to 2012. The monitoring line reaches a maximum offshore distance of about 150 km, with monitoring station depths ranging from 27 to 392 m. In addition to temperature, salinity and oxygen CTD profile data (at 1 m depth resolution), monitoring data for the macro-nutrients (phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, silicate) and chlorophyll-a, obtained from bottle samples, are available at 3 to 9 depths at each station. This climatology provides valuable data of biogeochemical cycles in eastern boundary upwelling systems, and will be particularly useful for the purpose of validating ocean models.