Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 4 No 1 | Annual Cycles of Physical, Chemical and Biological Parameters in Scottish Waters

Tables describing the annual cycles of physical (temperature, salinity, density and watercolumn stability), chemical (nitrate, orthophosphate, silicate, ammonia and oxygensaturation) and biological (particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen,chlorophyll-a and phaeophytin) parameters are presented for twenty six sub-areas ofScottish coastal and oceanic waters. These tables have been derived from observationsmade by the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, during the period 1960-2010.

For over 100 years Marine Scotland, under various names, has conducted marine researchin the waters around Scotland. From the earliest times this included the measurement ofphysical and chemical parameters at standard sections worked routinely over a number ofyears, and at ad hoc stations whose timing and location were determined by individualprojects. This paper presents summary tables of a selection of these parameters in twentysix sub-areas of Scottish waters selected because of their distinct hydrographiccharacteristics.Only data from 1960 have been used for a number of reasons. Prior to that time salinity, avital parameter used when determining the origins and history of particular water masses,was determined chemically. Initially salinity samples were analysed by the Laboratory of theGovernment Chemist, with varying degrees of accuracy and quality control. In later yearsthe analysis was taken on by staff of Marine Scotland, Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, whereit has stayed through to the present day. Many of the chemical techniques presently usedfor the determination of nutrient concentrations were standardised in the early 1960s.Therefore, data prior to this are of limited value and must be used with caution. Since theearly 1960s, analysis techniques, and to a large extent the analysts themselves, have beenfairly consistent within the Marine Laboratory. The effect of this has been a high quality,internally consistent data set.Any collection of environmental data, such as that which exists within the Marine Laboratory,is of most value if it can be readily accessible and in a form useful to potential "customers".Today, this means a computer archived database which may be used in a flexible, userfriendlyand problem-oriented manner. Such a database has been constructed fromoceanographic data collected by the Marine Laboratory since 1960.