Data from: Deep-sea benthic ostracodes from multiple core and epibenthic sledge samples in Icelandic waters

Deep-sea benthic Ostracoda (Crustacea) in Icelandic waters are poorly
known. Here we report deep-sea ostracode assemblages from the multiple
core (MUC) and the epibenthic sledge (EBS) samples collected from
Icelandic waters by the first cruise of the IceAGE (Icelandic Marine
Animals: Genetics and Ecology) project. Samples from shelf-edge and
lower-bathyal working areas are examined. The results show (1) distinct
MUC and EBS faunas due to the large difference in mesh size of MUC and
EBS; and (2) distinct shelf-edge and lower-bathyal ostracode faunas. Such
remarkable faunal turnover from shelf to bathyal depths is similar to the
faunal turnovers reported from depth transects in the adjacent regions of
the western North Atlantic Ocean, the Greenland Sea, and the North Sea,
but, at the same time, there are certain differences in the faunal
composition between the Icelandic waters and these adjacent regions. In
addition, we illustrate many Icelandic deep-sea ostracode species with
high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and composite all-in-focus
stereomicroscopic images for the first time. These results provide
important basic information on deep-sea ostracode research and
biogeography of this important region connecting North Atlantic proper and
Nordic Seas.