Macrofauna abundance from multicorer and box corer samples for ten stations around the Antarctic Peninsula (POLARSTERN cruise PS 81, ANT-XXIX/3, January–March 2013)

This dataset provides abundance data for macrofaunal taxa determined from sediment samples collected around the Antarctic Peninsula. A minimum of three samples (cores) were taken at each station with a MUC10 multicorer or giant box corer during PS81. The whole sediment cores (top to bottom) were preserved in a in 4%-borax-buffered formaldehyde solution prior to sieving (sieve size 500 µm) and counting (detailed methods in Säring et al. submitted). Only at station 241, cores were sliced into depth layers (0–2 cm, 2–5 cm, 5– bottom) and size fractions distinguished (sieve size 500 µm, 1000 µm). Abundances are presented per whole core as ind./m². Data from different layers and size fractions (station 241) are available upon request. Macrofauna communities included individuals from 13 higher taxa. The macrofauna abundance data are part of a larger ecological study on meio- and macrofauna communities and their relation to environmental conditions and remineralisation at the sediment-water interface (see Related to below). For the larger study, sediment cores from which macrofauna abundance data are deposited here were also used for microcosm incubations: Untreated incubations (Benthic ecosystem Function Experiments BEFEx), and incubations with and without microalgae addition (Algae Feeding Experiment AFEx). Cores from BEFEx and AFEx without algae are labeled with NT (not treated), cores from AFEx with algae are labeled as T (treated).