Presence and absence records of benthic taxa from trawl samples taken in the Weddell Sea (Antarctica) and neighbouring seas during POLARSTERN cruises ANT-VII/4, ANT-IX/3, ANT-XIII/3, ANT-XV/3, ANT-XVII/3 and ANT-XXI/2 between 1989 and 2004

The dataset comprises a total of 11,020 records of presence and absence for 58 benthic invertebrate taxa and fish from 190 trawl samples (Agassiz trawl, bottom trawl, Rauschert dredge, benthopelagic trawl). The dataset was collected on the shelf and slope of the eastern Weddell Sea and Lazarev Sea, near Bouvet Island and the region at the north western tip of the Antarctic Peninsula (depth range: 64 - 2315 m) between 1989 and 2004 onboard "Polarstern". Cruises ANT VII/4 (1989), ANT IX/3 (1990/91), ANT XIII/3 (1996), ANT XV/3 (1998), ANT XVII/3 (2000) and ANT XXI/2 (2003/2004) contributed to the data collection.