Iberia-Forams cruise in September 2012 - coccolithophore assemblage data@en

These data present results from seawater samples collected at 11 stations in a north-south transect along the western and southwestern Iberian margin in September 2012. Seawater samples at defined depths across the upper 300 meters were filtered in order to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of extant coccolithophores. For species identification a piece of the filter paper was cut off and analyzed in a Scanning Electronic Microscope at the University of Salamanca (Spain). The aim of this work was studying the composition of the coccolithophore assemblages along the western Iberian margin as well as across the water column at each station. Approximately 15 species were identified. Two vertical zones, separated by a seasonal or a permanent thermocline, can be distinguished in the photic zone: the upper part, counting on more diversity and dominated by small placoliths; and the lower part, mainly inhabited by Florisphaera profunda. Minor changes are encountered with regard to the horizontal distribution, where temperature is likely the dominant environmental variable.本数据集呈现2012年9月沿伊比利亚半岛西部及西南海域南北向断面11个站位采集的海水样本分析结果。研究人员对0至300米上层水体各预设深度层位的海水样本进行过滤，以开展现存颗石藻（coccolithophores）的定性与定量分析。为进行物种鉴定，研究人员切取部分滤膜，于西班牙萨拉曼卡大学的扫描电子显微镜（Scanning Electronic Microscope）下开展分析。本研究旨在解析伊比利亚半岛西部海域断面及各站位水层中的颗石藻群落组成结构，共计鉴定出约15个颗石藻物种。透光带（photic zone）内可区分出两个垂直层位，二者以季节性或永久性温跃层（thermocline）为界：上层物种多样性更高，以小型板状颗石（placoliths）为优势类群；下层则主要由佛罗里萨球石藻（Florisphaera profunda）占据。水平分布格局仅存在小幅变化，温度大概率是调控该分布的主导环境变量。