Elemental and stable isotope data from Western Australian macrophytes, epiphytes, and cyanobacteria (1999-2021)

This data set presents carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) elemental compositions and C:N ratios, as well as C, N, and sulphur (S) stable isotope compositions (δ13C, δ 15N, and δ34S, respectively) from specimens of macrophytes (seagrasses, mangrove trees, red/green/brown macroalgae), their epiphytes, and cyanobacteria. All samples were collected in the coast of Western Australia between 7 July 1999 and 1 May 2021.

The data were collected at irregular intervals as part of project-specific surveys. Projects from which data are drawn include:
- PhD project for Mat Vanderklift;
- Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment (SRFME);
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) Node 1 Project 2 Coastal ecosystem characterisation;
- Caring for Our Country: Shark Bay Effects of Rising Water levels on the Faure Sill and Stromatolites;
- Caring for Our Country: Identifying threats to the marine biodiversity of the Ningaloo World Heritage Area (2012-2013)
- Ningaloo Outlook (2015-2021);
- WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program;
- Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership (PMCP); and
- Effects of Physical Disturbance on Kelp-Dominated Reef Communities Across a Broad Temperate-Tropical Transition Zone - Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant DP0555929; https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/Web/Grant/Grant/DP0555929 (Awarded to Dr Thomas Wernberg, Dr Gary Kendrick, and A/Prof Russell Babcock)

The results from these projects were merged into the current data set to help scientists better understand biological (i.e., physiological), spatial, and temporal trends in elemental and isotopic composition of marine primary producers (and their epiphytes) in the region.