Macrobenthic data of Rijpfjorden, Svalbard

The aim of this study was to monitor the temporal changes of the macrobenthos in Rijpfjorden (Svalbard, Arctic Ocean). This dataset contains abundance data of benthic macrofauna collected during five cruises to Rijpfjorden between late July and early September in 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2017. During each cruise, the seafloor of four stations (‘Inner Rijpfjorden’ (IR), ‘Middle Rijpfjorden’ (MR), ‘Outer Rijpfjorden’ (OR) and ‘Rijpfjorden North’ (RN)) was sampled with three deployments of a Van Veen grab (0.1 m2). The sediment was sieved over a 0.5 mm mesh and fauna was preserved in 4% buffered formaldehyde solution. Identifcation was carried out to the lowest possible taxonomic level.This dataset is in a multi-sheet format and quality-controlled by CRITTERBASE (https://critterbase.awi.de/#qc).