Microbial eukaryote diversity in the marine oxygen minimum zone off northern Chile

Molecular surveys are revealing diverse eukaryotic assemblages in oxygen-limited ocean waters. These communities may play pivotal ecological roles through autotrophy, feeding, and a wide range of symbiotic associations with prokaryotes. We used 18S rRNA gene sequencing to provide the first snapshot of pelagic microeukaryotic community structure in two cellular size fractions (0.2–1.6µm, >1.6µm) from seven depths through the anoxic oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off northern Chile. These data, compared to those from other low-oxygen sites, reveals variation in OMZ microeukaryote composition, helping to identify clades with potential adaptations to oxygen-depletion.