Meiofauna abundances in multicorer samples from six deep-sea stations in the Atlantic part of the Southern Ocean (POLARSTERN cruise PS71, ANT-XXIV/2 SYSTCO, November 2007-February 2008)

We provide abundance data for meiofauna taxa determined from sediment samples collected at bathyal and abyssal depths (1927–5337 m) along a 2400-km North-South transect in the Atlantic part of the Southern Ocean. During the RV Polarstern expedition PS71 (ANT XXIV-2 SYSTCO, 28 November 2007 until 04 February 2008) six deep-sea stations were sampled from the Polar Front in the north (49°S), over the southern Polar Front (52°S, this site was visited two times), the Central Weddell Sea (62°S), and the seamount Maud Rise (64°S) to the Lazarev Sea (70°S) in the south. Samples (cores) were collected at each station with a MUC10 multicorer. On board, sediment cores were sliced into depth layers (0-1cm, 1-2cm, 2-3cm, 3-4cm, 4-5cm, 5-7cm, 7-10cm, 10-15cm, 15-20cm) and preserved in 4%-borax-buffered formaldehyde solution. In the laboratory, samples were sieved (upper sieve size 1000 µm, lower sieve size 32 µm) and centrifuged using a silica polymer as flotation medium to separate the animals from the sediment. Meiofauna organisms were counted on higher taxon level using a stereo microscope (detailed methods see Veit-Köhler et al. 2011). Abundance is presented per depth layer (note different slice hights) as ind/10cm². Meiofauna communities included individuals from 17 higher taxa. Data were obtained for a study on Southern Ocean deep-sea meiofauna, their relation to surface productivity, reaction to a phytoplankton bloom and stable isotope composition (see "Related to" below).