Abundance of phytoplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellates and bacteria through the water column at time series station L4 in the Western English Channel, 2007-2014.

This dataset contains depth profiles of the mean abundance of groups of plankton as cells per millilitre, measured using flow cytometry from the long-term sampling station, L4 (50 15.0'N; 4 13.0'W) situated off the south-west coast of England, United Kingdom. The groups quantified are divided into phytoplankton and heterotrophs. Phytoplankton groups quantified are: Synechococcus sp. (cyanobacteria)(Syn), picoeuakryotes (smaller than 2 um) (Peuk), cryptophytes (Crypto), coccolithophores (Cocco), small dinoflagellates (<20 um) (Dino), Phaeocystis sp. (Pcystis) and nanoeukaryotes (Neuk) not already mentioned (2-20 um). Heterotrophs quantified are: heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNAN), bacteria with relatively high nucleic acid content (HNA) and bacteria with relatively low DNA. Samples were collected and analysed in duplicate (heterotrophs) or triplicate (phytoplankton) from 2 m, 10 m, 25 m and 50 m depth. In 2007 the Secchi depth was sampled instead of the 10 m depth. NOTE: In 2013 an extra column appears in the abundance section and in the standard deviation section. The columns are labelled 'Pnitz'; probably the chain-forming diatom Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima. It is also present in 2011 and 2012 where the samples were run using the newest flow cytometer at PML; data still to be supplied. Discrimination is down to better measurement of forward light scatter with the new flow cytometer (a BD Accuri C6).