Coccolithophore community composition and abundance by light microscopy from CTD bottles and surface underway samples during the Atlantic Meridional Transect AMT18 (JR20081003) cruise in October-November 2008

This dataset contains coccolithophore abundance data from CTD bottles and surface underway samples collected during the JR20081003 cruise in the Atlantic between Immingham, United Kingdom and Stanley, Falkland Islands in October-November 2008. Underway samples were collected from the non-toxic water supply approximately every 3 to 6 hours. Niskin samples were collected from 6 to 8 depths at the pre-dawn and noon CTD stations. Light microscopy analysis of coccolithophores and coccolith composition was performed by filtering a 200 millilitre water sample through a Millipore HA filter. This was then rinsed with a borate buffer and frozen in a petri dish until it was ready to be counted. In the laboratory, the filter was placed on a glass microscope slide and a 60 degrees Celsius Canada Balsam placed on top of the filter, followed by a cover slip. The clarified filter was examined with an Olympus BH2 microscope equipped with polarization optics. Birefringent coccoliths and plated coccolithophores were then counted. These data were collected for the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) project by scientists from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.