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Biogeochemistry and phytoplankton data from Loch Etive, Scotland, October 2022

This dataset contains biogeochemical measurements of surface water, sampled across Loch Etive, Scotland, between the 3rd and 7th of October 2022. The dataset encompasses 23 locations including nine open loch stations, four fish-farm adjacent loch sites, six river inflows, and four process experiment river sites, enabling a comparison of water chemistry across marine, freshwater, and anthropogenically influenced environments. Surface water samples were collected and analysed for an extensive range of biogeochemical parameters. In-field measurements included water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductivity. Laboratory analyses comprised: - Alkalinity - Major nutrients, including nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and silica - Dissolved and total organic and inorganic carbon and nitrogen (DOC, TIC, TDN) - Trace elements and rare earth elements (REEs), including lithium, barium, aluminium, and a full suite of lanthanides - Stable isotope composition of oxygen (δ18O), determined via isotope ratio mass spectrometry - Chromophoric and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (CDOM/FDOM), with derived indices such as fluorescence index (FI), biological index (BIX), and humification index (HIX) In addition to water chemistry, particulate samples were collected and analysed for total suspended solids (TSS), particulate organic matter (POM), particulate inorganic matter (PIM), chlorophyll-a concentration, and particulate organic carbon/nitrogen (POC/PON). Phytoplankton community composition was assessed by flow cytometry, quantifying major groups including diatoms, pico- and nano-chlorophytes, cryptophytes, and cyanobacteria. This comprehensive dataset is intended to inform biogeochemical process understanding in polar analogue environments and to validate analytical workflows and inter-institutional protocols. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/50f4344e-a79a-4e1f-a9ee-e7985ed847cd

Simple

Date (Publication)
2025-07-24
Identifier
https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/50f4344e-a79a-4e1f-a9ee-e7985ed847cd
Identifier
doi: / 10.5285/50f4344e-a79a-4e1f-a9ee-e7985ed847cd
Other citation details
Grant, A.L., Arrowsmith, C., Barry, C., Bowes, M.J., Callaghan, N., Eades, L.J., Fournier, I., Hendry, K., Mawji, E., O'Brien, A., Olszewska, J.P., Pickard, A.E., Tandy, S., Spears, B.M. (2025). Biogeochemistry and phytoplankton data from Loch Etive, Scotland, October 2022. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre 10.5285/50f4344e-a79a-4e1f-a9ee-e7985ed847cd
Point of contact
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Grant, A.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Grant, A.L.
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7203-3260
Author
  British Geological Survey - Arrowsmith, C.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3849-5179
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Barry, C.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Bowes, M.J.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0673-1934
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Callaghan, N.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0273-6161
Author
  University of Edinburgh - Eades, L.J.
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Fournier, I.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0065-2338
Author
  British Antarctic Survey - Hendry, K.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0790-5895
Author
  National Oceanography Centre - Mawji, E.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9860-1351
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - O'Brien, A.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8742-0010
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Olszewska, J.P.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4910-2206
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Pickard, A.E.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1069-3720
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Tandy, S.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0662-0991
Author
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Spears, B.M.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0876-0405
Owner
  UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Custodian
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
Publisher
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
  • Hydrography
Access constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
no limitations
Use constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
This resource is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence
Use constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
If you reuse this data, you should cite: Grant, A.L., Arrowsmith, C., Barry, C., Bowes, M.J., Callaghan, N., Eades, L.J., Fournier, I., Hendry, K., Mawji, E., O'Brien, A., Olszewska, J.P., Pickard, A.E., Tandy, S., Spears, B.M. (2025). Biogeochemistry and phytoplankton data from Loch Etive, Scotland, October 2022. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre https://doi.org/10.5285/50f4344e-a79a-4e1f-a9ee-e7985ed847cd
Spatial representation type
textTable Text, table
Metadata language
EnglishEnglish
Character set
utf8 UTF8
Topic category
  • Environment
Begin date
2022-10-03
End date
2022-10-07
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Unique resource identifier
OSGB 1936 / British National Grid
Distribution format
  • Comma-separated values (CSV) ()

Distributor
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
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Conformance result

Date (Publication)
2010-12-08
Statement
Surface water was collected via grab sampling at 23 sites across loch, river, and fish farm locations. In situ parameters were measured immediately using a HACH HQ4300 multimeter with calibrated pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen probes. Vacuum filtration units and portable pumps were used for sample processing. Samples were transported to the lab within 6 hours for processing. Nutrient concentrations were measured using segmented flow analysis; DOC, TIC, and TDN by thermal oxidation and chemiluminescence; metals and REEs by ICP-MS and ICP-OES; δ18O via isotope mass spectrometry. Phytoplankton were quantified using flow cytometry; particulate analyses followed gravimetric and spectrophotometric methods. Units include: Temperature (°C), pH (unitless), DO (mg/L, % saturation), conductivity (mS/cm) Nutrients: µmol/L or µg/L (e.g. nitrate, phosphate) DOC/TIC/TDN: mg/L Metals: µg/L or ppm Particulates: mg/L Phytoplankton: cells/mL CFDOM indices: Raman units or unitless indices (FI, HIX, BIX) Raw readings were calibrated and corrected; fluorescence data were processed in R; compiled data include site metadata and documented exclusions. Calibrations, reference standards, replicates, blanks, and internal controls were used. Analytical QA procedures were followed across all labs. Some data are missing due to instrument errors or lost samples. Not all parameters were measured at all sites.
File identifier
50f4344e-a79a-4e1f-a9ee-e7985ed847cd XML
Metadata language
EnglishEnglish
Character set
ISO/IEC 8859-1 (also known as Latin 1) 8859 Part 1
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Hierarchy level name
dataset
Date stamp
2025-08-01T08:27:50
Metadata standard name
UK GEMINI
Metadata standard version
2.3
Point of contact
  NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg , Lancaster , LA1 4AP , UK
https://eidc.ac.uk/
 
 

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Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Hydrography

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