Dataset accompanying “Optimising zooplankton DNA metabarcoding: methodological considerations for large-scale monitoring”

This data package accompanies the above manuscript and contains the data required to demultiplex the raw sequencing data and reproduce the statistical analyses in the manuscript. Five files are provided, described in detail below. The key linkage across files is the MOTU identifier (MIN, Metabarcoding Index Number), which is present in all_reads_MOTU.csv, OTU_sequences_all.csv, and merged_taxonomy_final.csv, and the sample identifier (ID_unique), which links all_reads_MOTU.csv to all_reads_metadata.csv.

The dataset contains the results of experiments comparing sample preservation methods (ethanol, heat-dried, freeze-dried, TES buffer), sequencing platforms (Illumina MiSeq and Ion Torrent PGM), and laboratory extraction protocols, using miniCOI metabarcoding of zooplankton communities from Norwegian fjords, the North Sea, and mock samples.