Coastal phytoplankton community change in response to environmental variability in South Africa

Long term datasets are important to elucidate the effects of climate change and the Anthropocene on the environment. We present a 14-year dataset of phytoplankton of a reference station in Algoa Bay. Additionally, the environmental data of the entire bay at a further seven stations. Samples were collected at a monthly frequency using the same methodology. We provide 3 228 nutrients, 3 315 chlorophyll-a samples between 2010 and 2024, 1 088 Secchi disk casts between 2011 and 2024 and a total of 1 005 CTD casts between 2012 and 2024 across eight stations. The phytoplankton surface community was captured by 144 horizontal net tows, and 143 water-column community (vertical tows) samples collected between 2010 and 2024 identifying 124 different taxa at the reference station. Together with this, continuous underwater temperature data at 10 stations and a weather station at Coega Harbor provides hourly data from 2008 and 2015, respectively. These datasets are important in understanding hydrological, biogeochemical and phytoplankton community structure, dynamics and changes in Algoa Bay.

长期数据集对于阐明气候变化与人类世对环境的影响至关重要。
本研究公开了阿尔戈湾（Algoa Bay）某基准站位历时14年的浮游植物数据集，此外还包含该海湾其余7个站位的全域环境数据。所有样品均采用统一方法按月采集。
本次公开的数据包含2010至2024年间的3228项营养盐检测数据、3315组叶绿素a（chlorophyll-a）样品数据；2011至2024年间的1088次透明度盘（Secchi disk）测量数据；以及2012至2024年间覆盖8个站位的共计1005次温盐深仪（CTD）剖面测量数据。在2010至2024年间，通过144次水平拖网采集表层浮游植物群落样品、143次垂直拖网采集水柱浮游植物群落样品，并在基准站位鉴定出124个不同浮游植物分类群。
此外，本数据集还包含10个站位的连续水下温度监测数据，以及科加港（Coega Harbor）气象站的观测数据，二者分别自2008年与2015年起提供每小时采样数据。
该数据集系列对于解析阿尔戈湾的水文、生物地球化学特征以及浮游植物群落结构、动态变化与演化趋势具有重要价值。