Composition and concentration of individual biomarkers collected by particle interceptor traps in the Amazon River plume during R/V Knorr cruise KN197-08 in 2010 and R/V Melville cruise MV1110 in 2011

These data include composition and concentration of individual biomarkers collected during two cruises to the Amazon River plume. Particulate organic carbon (POC) was collected in 2010 (high discharge) on a cruise aboard the R/V Knorr between 2010-05-23 and 2010-06-21, and in 2011 (low discharge) on a cruise aboard the R/V Melville between 2011-09-05 and 2011-10-06. POC sinking vertically from the surface ocean was collected using 12-polycarbonated tube free-floating surface-tethered particle interceptor traps, capturing ~1 to 3-days of accumulated sinking material. Then, the particulate material was collected using 0.7 micrometer GF/F filters.

These data help to clarify the Amazon River plume's impact on the biological pump of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, consistent with a river plume fueling primary production, and with increased zooplankton and bacteria contributions to POC composition at depth and in the POC that is vertically exported. Sediment trap collections were performed by Dr. William Berelson at the University of Southern California and POC samples were collected by Dr. Patricia Medeiros at the University of Georgia.