Temporal effects of oiling and plant type on microbial biodiversity and predicted metabolic function in marine sediments: A mesocosm study in April/September 2016

Sediments were collected for a mesocosm project to examine the overall response of microbial diversity to oil exposure, plant type, and also to characterize bacterial communities associated nitrogen and sulfur cycling processes in marine sediments. Sediments samples were collected from control and amended mesocosms set up at Dauphin Island Sea Lab that consisted of the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, along with either a monoculture or polyculture of the smooth cord grass, Spartina alterniflora. Data were collected in triplicates from control and amended mesocosms at three time points, before treatment in September 2015, 6 months after treatment in April 2016, and 11 months after treatment in September 2016. Additional data from this mesocosm study can be found in GRIIDC datasets R4.x262.000:0026 and R4.x262.000:0034.