Extant coccolithophores around Cabo Verde Archipelago during Maria S. Merian cruise MSM49

A systematic investigation of the extant coccolithophore community around Cabo Verde Archipelago was performed during the cruise MSM49 of FS Maria S. Merian between November, 28, and December, 21, 2015, in the scope of the project SEAMOX - Influence of Seamounts and Oxygen Minimum on Pelagic Fauna in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. For the description of the spacial and vertical distribution of the extant coccolithophore community sampling was done at 10 stations to the north, east and south of Cabo Verde archipelago from 6 to 9 water depths between surface and 150 m. A total of 79 samples were obtained, filtered onboard onto polycarbonate membranes and sections of these filters mounted in the laboratory on microscope slides for analysis by cross-polarized light microscopy. At least 400 coccospheres were counted through a randomly selected sequence of fields of view and the absolute abundances (Coccospheres/L) were estimated.