Between 1980 and 2009, marine macronutrient concentrations (silicate, Si(OH)4-Si; phosphate, PO4-P; nitrate, NO3-N; ammonium, NH4-N; and nitrite, NO2-N) and concurrent temperature and salinity were measured by British Antarctic Survey researchers as part of an integrated ecosystem investigation. Areas sampled included South Georgia and the wider Scotia Sea, around the Antarctic Peninsula, and in the Bellingshausen Sea. The data were collected from aboard the RRS John Biscoe or the RRS James Clark Ross during all months of the year with the exceptions of May and June. Samples were collected from CTD water bottles (vertical profiles) to maximum depth of 5400 m, and by monitoring continuously the ship's non-toxic seawater supply (intake at 6 - 7 m) while the vessel was transecting. Analyses were performed immediately aboard ship and logged to computer while full data analysis was performed post-cruise using custom written software programmes. The data collection was enabled through Natural Environment Research Council National Capability funding to the British Antarctic Survey. This was organised through a series of BAS programmes including the Offshore Biological Research programme, the DYNAMOE programme and the ECOSYSTEMS programme. Data creation was facilitated through a combination of NERC funding for Antarctic Logistics and Infrastructure (ALI) Science and the NERC Science Multi-Centre Round 2 (NCSM2) programme BIOPOLE (NE/W004933/1).

Discrete data for major ions and nutrients in river water for 13 sites in the Humber catchment over the periods 1993 to 1997 and 1996 to 1997 and for 3 sites from the Tweed catchment over the period 1994 to 1997. Ions and nutrients measured were: Ammonia, Calcium (dissolved), Magnesium (dissolved), Potassium (dissolved), Sodium (dissolved), Bromide-ion, Carbon (organic dissolved), Chloride-ion, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphorus (soluble reactive), Phosphorus (total dissolved), Silicate (reactive dissolved), Sulphate, Carbon (organic particulate), Nitrogen (particulate), Phosphorus (total). Sites were sampled at regular weekly intervals and more intermittently during high flows (on average an extra sampling once a month per site). Samples were obtained using a wide neck PTFE bottle in a plastic covered bottle carrier (lowered from bridges where possible otherwise collected by immersing sample bottle by hand in the water as near the main flow as possible). Samples were filtered through Whatman 0.45um sterile membrane filters immediately on return to laboratory. Samples stored in sterilin tubes in the dark at 40C and analysed by Dionex DX100 ion chromatography system. Silicate reactive dissolved and Chloride-ion concentrations were determined by automated colourimetry and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were determined using a TOCsin II aqueous carbon analyser. Some samples on the River Aire were collected using EPIC automatic samplers. The analysis was carried out by members of the analytical chemistry section at York University (from April 1994 until November 1996) and at Wallingford Institute of Hydrology (September 1993 to April 1994 and December 1996 to April 1997), as part of the Land Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/4482fa14-aee2-4c7f-9c62-a08dc9704051