Composition and concentration of individual biomarkers in particulate organic carbon collected during two cruises to 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. Water was collected using CTD water sampling and 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. All POC samples were collected by Dr. Patricia Medeiros at the University of Georgia.