Dissolved and particulate nutrients in waters of the Whitsunday Island group, Great Barrier Reef (1988)

In February 1988, 21 hydrographic stations were sampled within the Whitsunday Island group. The cruise track was laid out to sample the widest range of conditions possible.Initial sampling at each station involved full water column profiles of temperature, salinity and underwater scalar irradiance, obtained using a CTD profiler with an attached Biospherical QSP-200 underwater irradiance sensor. This was followed by the collection of discrete water samples from four to ten depths through the water column using Niskin bottles. These samples were used for analysis of dissolved inorganic nutrients. At some stations additional water samples were collected and subsamples were used for analysis of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), chlorophyll, particulate organic nitrogen (PON) and particulate organic phosphorus (POP). Additional information collected for each station included location, acoustic depth, sample depth, sample time, wind speed, wind direction, swell height and swell direction.
The survey was carried out to obtain background data on concentrations of chlorophyll, organic and inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus and inorganic silicate in waters of the Whitsunday Island group. Stations were located to enable comparisons of water quality in the vicinity of anchorages (Nara Inlet) or islands with significant resort developments (Hamilton Island, West Molle Island and Hayman Island) with water sampled in the open water between islands.