Bulk chemistry of aggregates and EPS for roller table experiments for diatom aggregation in the presence or absence of oil

This data set are the chemical characterization of the EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid )-extracted aggregates and EPS (extracellular polymeric substances) in terms of the protein, neutral sugars, and uronic acids with respect to organic carbon. Experiments were conducted with a water accommodated fraction of oil (WAF), simulating conditions below the water/oil interface. Two different oils were compared, because oil characteristics, likely impact incorporation of oil into aggregates. Surrogate oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico 2010 (Macondo oil) and the oil spilled in 2015 at Refugio Beach, near Santa Barbara, California referred to as Refugio oil, were used. A total of five roller tank experiments were conducted. Experiments were performed in roller tanks to mimic the continuous sinking of marine snow-sized aggregates through a water column. All experiments were conducted in the dark, simulating the aggregation phase only, not the growth phase of phytoplankton.