Stable isotope data of mesozooplankton from the Adriatic basin (Mediterranean Sea)

Zooplankton plays a key role in the marine food webs, and it represents the main food source for small pelagics, one of the most exploited resources in the Adriatic Sea. In order to deepen our knowledge of zooplankton assemblage structure and trophodynamics in one of the most productive areas of the Mediterranean sea, but at the same time highly impacted by human activities, community and Stable Isotope Analyses (SIA) were performed on zooplankton samples. Here SIA data are provided. Zooplankton samples were collected on board R/V G. Dallaporta during the acoustic survey MEDIAS 2019 geographic subarea (GSA) 17 and GSA 18 (Leonori et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.26001) that took place in June–July 2019, in the continental shelf waters of the western Adriatic Sea. Vertical hauls were performed using a WP2 plankton net, starting from 3 m above the bottom (or from 100 m depth in the deepest hauls), to the surface. Zooplankton samples were frozen on board and analysed in the laboratory to characterize the planktonic community, both at assemblage and trophic structure levels. After taxonomical identification, samples were dried and analysed through an elemental analyser (Thermo FlashEA 1112) for the determination of total carbon and nitrogen and then analysed for δ13C and δ15N in a continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (Thermo Delta Plus XP) (Post et al., 2007, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-006-0630-x).浮游动物在海洋食物网中发挥关键作用，同时是小型中上层鱼类的主要食物来源——而小型中上层鱼类是亚得里亚海最具开发价值的渔业资源之一。为深入解析地中海高生产力且受人类活动强烈影响的区域之一的浮游动物群落结构与营养动力学，研究团队对浮游动物样本开展了群落分析与稳定同位素分析（Stable Isotope Analyses, SIA），本数据集即提供该研究的稳定同位素分析数据。浮游动物样本采集于2019年6—7月在亚得里亚海西部陆架水域开展的MEDIAS 2019声学调查期间，作业船为G. Dallaporta号科考船，采样区域为地理分区（Geographic Subarea, GSA）17与GSA 18（Leonori等，2021，https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.26001）。本次采样采用WP2型浮游生物网实施垂直拖网，采样起点为距海底3米处（最深站位则从100米水深处），终至海面。浮游动物样本在船上完成冷冻保存后，于实验室开展分析，以解析浮游生物群落在群落组成与营养结构两个层面的特征。经分类鉴定后，样本经干燥处理，使用元素分析仪（Thermo FlashEA 1112）测定总碳与总氮含量；随后采用连续流同位素比值质谱仪（Thermo Delta Plus XP）测定δ¹³C与δ¹⁵N值（Post等，2007，https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-006-0630-x）。