An 18S V4 rDNA metabarcoding dataset of protist diversity in the Atlantic inflow to the Arctic Ocean, through the year and down to 1000 m depth. ...

• Main Authors: Egge, Elianne, Elferink, Stephanie, Vaulot, Daniel, John, Uwe, Bratbak, Gunnar, Larsen, Aud, Edvardsen, Bente
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: SEANOE 2014
• Subjects: protists; metabarcoding; Arctic; 18s; rDNA; microbial eukaryotes; epipelagic zone; mesopelagic zone; seasonality; winter; spring bloom; post bloom; West Spitsbergen Current; Svalbard; Protist Ribosomal Reference Database; picoplankton; nanoplankton; microplankton; size fractions; Arctic Ocean; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17882/79823; https://www.seanoe.org/data/00686/79823/

Arctic marine protist communities have been understudied due to challenging sampling conditions, in particular during winter and in deep waters. The aim of this study was to improve our knowledge on Arctic protist diversity through the year, both in the epipelagic (< 200 m depth) and mesopelagic zones (200-1000 m depth). Sampling campaigns were performed in 2014, during five different months, to capture the various phases of the Arctic primary production: January (winter), March (pre-bloom), May (spring bloom), August (post-bloom) and November (early winter). The cruises were undertaken west and north of the Svalbard archipelago, where warmer Atlantic waters from the West Spitsbergen Current meets cold Arctic waters from the Arctic Ocean. From each cruise, station, and depth, 50 L of sea water were collected and the plankton was size-fractionated by serial filtration into four size fractions between 0.45-200 µm, representing the picoplankton, nanoplankton and microplankton. In addition vertical net hauls ...