IMOS - Ships of Opportunity - Australian Plankton Survey Sub-Facility

Updated: 2026-04-23

The Ships of Opportunity Facility encompasses both the open ocean and coastal waters, in support of short time-scales associated with ocean prediction and the longer term scales of climate research. The IMOS Ships of Opportunity Australian Plankton Survey Sub-Facility (formerly known as the Australian Continuous Plankton Recorder (AusCPR)) uses a number of Continuous Plankton Recorders (CPR), the only platform that can assess plankton species and be towed behind ships of opportunity. Species-level data are vital to examine mesoscale productivity, biodiversity, and climate impacts on marine ecosystems. Two seasonal routes will be operated, in the Southern Ocean, and the East Australian Current. Data from Southern Ocean CPR (SO-CPR) surveys are also available, managed by the Southern Ocean Plankton Sub-Facility. In addition to data currently being collected, historical data from 1990 have been made available by scientists from the Australian Antarctic Division.