Physicochemical and biochemical characteristics of particulate organic matter during an under-ice phytoplankton bloom in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica

This dataset contains physicochemical and biochemical measurements of particulate organic matter (POM) collected during a 38-day under-ice phytoplankton bloom (UIB) time series in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica collected as part of PRAISE observatory maintained by the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, India. Samples were collected at three depths (0 m, 50 m, and 140 m) under land-fast sea ice to investigate bloom initiation, progression, and associated changes in particulate matter quantity and composition.

The dataset includes water column physical properties (temperature, salinity, and stability parameter N²), dissolved inorganic nutrients, suspended particulate matter (SPM), particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen (PN), stable isotopic composition (δ¹³C-POC and δ¹⁵N-PN), chlorophyll-a, and major biochemical components of POM (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids). In addition, detailed monosaccharide composition of POM is provided to assess changes in organic matter quality during bloom development.