Sediment characteristics (TOC, TN, δ13C, δ15N, Chl a, phaeopigments, water content, sediment description) of multicorer samples from six deep-sea stations in the Southern Ocean (PS71 SYSTCO 2007-2008)

We present sediment data from cores collected at bathyal and abyssal depths (1960–5337 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 (0-0.5cm, 0.5-1cm, in the following 1-cm steps down to a max. core depth of 25cm). Provided data are total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), stable isotope values of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C, δ15N), sediment pigments [chlorophyll a and phaeopigments [Phaeophorbid a (Phorbid a), Pyrophaeophorbid a (pPhorbid a), Phaeophythin a (Phytin a), Pyrophaeophythin a (pPhytin a); HPLC measurements)], water content and a sediment description. An isotope ratio mass spectrometer (Delta Plus, Thermo-Finnigan) coupled to an elemental analyzer (NC 2500, Carlo Erba; combustion temperature 1080 C) at the GeoBio-Center (University of Munich, Germany) was used to measure carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios and elemental contents (wt% N and C) on the same sample. For detailed descriptions of the methods see Veit-Köhler et al. (2011, 2013) below. Not for all cores the complete data set is available. 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).