Stable isotope analysis of marine plankton during Maria S. Merian cruise MSM49

Data represent isotopic values of plankton community of the eastern tropical Atlantic. Main focus was given to the trophic position of gelatinous zooplankton within the oceanic food web. Sampling was conducted during November and December 2015 on board R/V “MARIA S. MERIAN” (cruise MSM49) at 8 stations in Cape Verdean waters in the ETA, including a shallow seamount (Senghor Seamount, 100-3300 m) and its northwestern and southeastern slopes, a cyclonic eddy, and four oceanic stations. Net sampling was conducted using two types of multiple opening/closing nets and environmental sampling systems (MOCNESS), one with 1 m2 ( three nets, mesh size: 2 mm; and six nets, mesh size: 335 µm) and one with 10 m2 opening (five nets, mesh size: 1.5 mm), towed at a speed of 2 kn. Sampling depth intervals were targeted at 0-50, 50-100, 100-200, 200-400, 400-600, and 600-1000 m. Samples from replicate tows at the same depth and station were pooled for analyses.