Grain-shape and grain-size data of sediment samples from a monitoring study of sandy-beach meiofauna (Ahrenshoop, Baltic Sea)

We provide sediment data (grain-size and -shape parameters) for samples collected on the sandy-beach water line of Ahrenshoop (Baltic Sea). The data are provided for two sampling dates: T0 (14 and 16 September 2021) and T2 (27 September 2023). Five sampling stations (AH01–AH05) were located on the sandy beach at Ahrenshoop. Latitude and longitude of each sampling location per station were recorded at each sampling date using a hand-held GPS application on a mobile phone. Sediment samples were taken at the beach-water interface using plexiglass cores (inner diameter 5.4 cm, surface area 22.9 cm2). The cores were inserted down to 15 cm sediment depth. Each core was sliced into three layers (0–5, 5–10 and 10–15 cm). For the current study, per station two replicates were taken at T0 and three at T2. The sediment remaining after decantation (32-μm sieve) was used for grain-size analyses. No remarkable amount of silt and clay was observed in the samples. Sediment samples were dried at 80°C for 24 h. Each sample was mixed to homogeneously distribute the sediment and then split using a Retsch PT 100 sample divider (vibratory feeding type DR 40). Particles larger than 2 mm were sieved off before splitting. A total of 10–15 ml of sediment was used to obtain shape descriptors and their distribution using a Sympatec QICPIC dynamic image analyser (dispenser: Gradis with an outlet width of 4.0 mm; feeder type: Vibri; range: M9). The data from the Sympatec QICPIC was obtained using a software PAQXOS v5.1.2. The shape parameters included median values for aspect ratio, convexity, elongation, roundness and sphericity. Median particle size [mm] was used as an additional grain size parameter. Percentiles of grain distribution are given in mm and Ф. Some particle size percentiles were used to calculate the sorting measure inclusive graphic quartile deviation (QDI): Ф5, Ф16, Ф84 and Ф95. Grain-size data (percentage of different grain-size fractions) obtained from mechanical sieving were presented beforehand (see “related works”, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13365183). The sediment data are part of a larger ecological study on the sediment-related changes in sandy-beach meiofauna communities, which included metabarcoding analysis (see “related works”, https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.8.127688). When using these data, please refer to the original article by Kapshyna et al. 2026 (citation see below). Comment: Our study is related to but not funded by the project ECAS Baltic: Strategies of ecosystem-friendly coastal protection and ecosystem-supporting coastal adaptation for the German Baltic Sea Coast https://deutsche-kuestenforschung.de/ecas-baltic.html