Quality controlled dataset of dissolved inorganic nutrients in the western Mediterranean Sea (2004-2017) from R/V oceanographic cruises

The database includes 870 stations sampled during 24 cruises between 2004 and 2017 in the Western Mediterranean Sea mainly on board R/Vs of the Italian National Research Council. It includes bottle data combined with CTD data. In all stations, measurements were carried out with a CTD-rosette system consisting of a CTD SBE 911 plus and a General Oceanics rosette with 24 12-l Niskin Bottles at the observed depth of the bottle sample. Temperature measurements were performed with an SBE-3/F thermometer and conductivity measurements were performed with an SBE-4 sensor. The probes were calibrated before and after the cruise. Samples of nitrate, phosphate and silicate were frozen to -20°C and stored before being analysed in laboratories onshore using standard colorimetric methods. Measurements were subjected to a rigorous quality control and this dataset includes both the original dataset after primary quality control (see "Original version") and the product after secondary quality control (crossover analysis).