These data come from a set of experiments conducted on the coastal waters near Davis Station in January 2017. The first set of data are from a transect near the Sorsdal glacier and out to sea, to characterise DMSP-mediated phytoplankton bacteria interactions along a salinity gradient. The second data set are from a series of incubation experiments to gain deeper insight into the role of various infochemicals in Antarctic phytoplankton-bacteria relationships. Specifically, DMSP, VitB12, Tryptophan and Methionine. The last data set is derived from two incubation experiments: a short term DMSP addition experiment to look at its uptake and utilisation by the microbial community; and a longer-term (5 day) stable isotope probing experiment to track DMSP through the lower trophic food web.

The current data set contains in-situ halocarbon atmospheric measurements of CH3CCl3, CH2Br2, CHBr3, CHCl3, C2Cl4 made using a Gas Chromatograph - Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD) known as the micro- DIRAC. Instrument description and setup details: GC-ECD Instrument Description: "micro-Dirac: an autonomous instrument for halocarbon measurements" B. Gostlow, A. D. Robinson, N. R. P. Harris, L. M. O'Brien, D. E. Oram, G. P. Mills, H. M. Newton, S. E. Yong, and J. A Pyle Atmos. Meas. Tech., 3, 507-521, 2010 Instrument Setup: This instrument is sampling from a weather protected inlet positioned ~2 m off the front port side of the Monkey Deck of the Aurora Australis, directly above the bridge. The end of the Teflon sample line is bare (with an inserted glass wool filter) and contained within the "Ned Kelly", a large (~30 cm diameter) stainless steel can which protects against rain, snow, sea spray and major impacts. The quarter inch teflon sample line runs 60m (2 x 30m with 1 join) down to the GC-ECD which was located in a modified shipping container located on the foredeck. Ultra high purity He (99.995% purity) and N2 (99.998% purity) were fed ~ 6m into the instrument container via stainless steel 1/16" tubing from a smaller adjacent container containing a number of other gas cylinders (primarily He, N2 and H2). A cylinder of calibrated air is located within the instrument container to perform regular calibrations. Inlet flow rate of 1 L/min; sampling rate - about 20 samples per day. Method description: a sample volume of 20 ml is passed through the adsorbent tube which quantitatively traps the compounds of interest. The tube is mounted across a 6 port 2 position valco valve. The adsorbent bed is then purged with helium to remove oxygen and the valco valve is switched to the 'inject' position. The tube is heated to 180 C, releasing the compounds of interest into a carrier flow of helium onto the separation column. The column is heated first isothermally at 35 C for 5 minutes before heating at 8 C/min to 145 C. The target compounds are separated according to boiling point and pass through the ECD. The chromatogram takes ~30 minutes to complete. After the bromoform peak has appeared the column is cooled back to 35 C, the valco valve is switched to the 'load' position and the next sample can be injected.

Dimethylsulfide and its precursors and derivatives constitute a major sulfate aerosol source. This dataset incorporates the potential for increased UV radiation effects due to stratospheric ozone depletion over spring and summer in Antarctica, using large-scale incubation systems and 13-14 day incubation periods. Surface seawater (200 micron filtered) from the Davis coastal embayment was incubated during four experiments over the 2002-03 Antarctic Summer. The data incorporates seawater measurements of DMS, DMSP and DMSO over a temporal progression during each incubation experiment. Six polyethylene tanks of varying PAR and UV irradiances were incubated. Water was collected stored and analysed by gas chromatography according to a specific sampling protocol, employed by all investigators associated with the project. The data are organised according to analysis day, with each days calibration data displayed at the top of each sheet. The sample code is followed by GC run number and then the raw count data from the GC. This is calculated to nanomoles DMS, DMSP or DMSO. Sample Codes: Codes for temporal data follow format X.XXXX 1st X gives experiment number, 1 to 4. 2nd X gives sampling day, 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 7, 14 (will result in digit code for day no. less than 10 3rd X gives tank number relating to irradiance level(one to six) 4th and 5th X is replicate number, (01, 02, 03, DMS), (04, 05,06, DMSP total), (07, 08, 09, DMSP dissolved), (10, 11, 12, DMSO total). The fields in this dataset are: Sample Code Run Number from the GC Counts - GC generated raw data Log Counts - logarithmic conversion of the count data Log -c - logarithmic conversion minus the y-intercept determined by calibration of the GC. (log -c)/m - log -c divided by m, determined by calibration of the GC. ngS anti log - nanograms of Sulfur NaOH - NaOH adjustment ngS/L - adjustment per litre nM-DMSP/L - nanoMol's DMSP per litre nm-DMS/L - nanoMol's DMS per litre September 2013 Update: DMSO was analysed in these experiments according to an adaptation of the sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduction method of Andreae (1980). The method has since been superseded and the data here probably displays inaccuracies as a result of the analytical method used. This DMSO data should be treated with caution.

An ecotoxicological risk assessment of groundwater from two Macquarie Island fuel spill sites was conducted to assess the level of risk posed by the sites to the adjacent marine receiving environment. Experiments were conducted on Macquarie Island during the summer season of 2017/18. The two fuel spill sites (known as: Fuel Farm and Power House, see file: Map-macquarie_building_and_structures_14676.pdf) within the vicinity of the Macquarie Island research station had undergone intensive in situ remediation by the Australian Antarctic Division over the previous decade. Despite remediation efforts, groundwater leaching from the sites continued to contain some residual fuel contamination, with sheen observed at several shoreline seeps and chemical analysis of groundwater samples confirmed some hydrocarbon contamination remained. This study aimed to assess the level of residual risk posed by groundwater from these sites as it enters the adjacent marine environment. We ran a series of toxicity tests using composited samples of salinity-adjusted groundwater discharge, as an exposure medium to test the sensitivity of 11 locally collected marine invertebrate species to the groundwater. Groundwater sampling was conducted over two periods: 23-29/11/17 and 18-20/12/17, for use in two rounds of toxicity testing (referred to as test round 1 (A and B) and test round 2). Groundwater samples were collected from 22 groundwater monitoring points; 12 surface seeps and 7 previously installed piezometers. These monitoring points were located along the coastal margin of the of the fuel spill sites, at their boundary with the adjacent marine environment (see: Locations-Fuel Farm-groundwater monitoring.pdf and Locations-Powerhouse-groundwater monitoring.pdf). The 22 groundwater samples were used to prepare seven salinity-adjusted composite test solutions (TS), each composed of equal volumes of up to nine groundwater samples. Salinity adjustment was to approximately that of ambient seawater (34 ppt), using hypersaline brine (prepared from locally collected clean seawater, which was frozen, then partially defrosted to collect concentrated brine). A total of approximately 6 L of was prepared for each of the seven TSs. See file: MI Ecotox-2017-18_TestSolutions_v03.xlsx for TS details (including: collection, preparation and physicochemical analysis results). Eleven locally collected marine invertebrate species were used in the tests. Biota were collected from two sites on Macquarie Island, both within the vicinity of the research station but away from areas of known fuel contamination: 1). Garden Bay on the East Coast (54° 29' 56.9" S, 158° 56' 28.8" E) and 2). Hasselborough Bay on the West Coast (54° 29' 45.6" S, 158° 55' 55.8" E). See: Map-macquarie_building_and_structures_14676.pdf. Dates of collection of test biota were 1/12/2017 (for test round 1A), 6/12/2017 (for test round 1B) and 20 and 22/12/17 (for test round 2). The 11 test taxa were from six broad taxonomic groups: 2 amphipods (Paramoera sp., Parawaldeckia kidderi), 2 flatworms (Obrimoposthia wandeli, Obrimoposthia ohlini), 2 copepods (Tigriopus angulatus, Harpacticus sp.), 2 gastropods (Laevilitorina caliginosa, Macquariella hamiltoni), 2 bivalves (Gaimardia trapesina, Lasaea hinemoa) and 1 isopod (Exosphaeroma gigas). Test biota were observed for 14 or 21 days and survival observed periodically. Full details of toxicity test conditions are provided in the file: MI Ecotox-2017-18_RawTestObs v02.xlsx (worksheets: TestSummary, Species and Endpoints). This file also contains, on subsequent worksheets, the raw toxicity test observations for each text taxa. These raw result data are compiled in the file: MI Ecotox-2017-18_Test-DATA.xlsx, worksheet: Survival-ALL contains survival data for all tests and taxa. Subsequent worksheets provide data for each test taxa separately and also include any sublethal observations that were made. All data associated with test solution collection, composition and chemistry are provided in the file: MI Ecotox-2017-18_TestSolutions.xlsx. The following (A. – I.) provides a description for the files provided with this record: A. MI Ecotox-2017-18_A-Map-Groundwater monitoring sites.png Images of study sites. A.) Overall Macquarie Island station environment, with Fuel Farm (red) and Power House (blue) indicated and showing the close proximity of the two land based sites to the adjacent high energy marine receiving environment. B.) Line map indicating relative location sites; Power House (blue) and Fuel Farm (red) sites, within the Macquarie Island station area. C.) and D.) Aerial images of the two sites, showing groundwater monitoring point locations (piezometers and seeps) used to prepare the seven test solutions (TS) as per key; Power House (TS4 and TS5) and Fuel Farm (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS6 and TS7), respectively. Monitoring point labels correspond with those provided in the file: MI Ecotox-2017-18_D-TestSolutions.xlsx / TS-Collection. B. MI Ecotox-2017-18_B-Map-macquarie_building_and_structures_14676.pdf Map of overall Macquarie Island station area, showing locations referred to in this study relative to other station infrastructure; Fuel Farm and Power House (land based fuel contaminated sites) and Hasselborough Bay and Garden Bay (clean marine areas for collection of test biota). Produced by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre, July 2018. Map available at: https://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/mapcat/. Map Catalogue No. 14676. © Commonwealth of Australia 2018. C. MI Ecotox-2017-18_C-RawTestObs.xlsx Toxicity test condition details (in worksheets named: TestSummary, Species, Endpoints) and raw toxicity test observations for each text taxa (in subsequent worksheets). D. MI Ecotox-2017-18_D-TestSolutions.xlsx Details of test solutions, including collection, composition and chemistry. E. MI Ecotox-2017-18_E-Test-DATA.xlsx Compiled raw toxicity test results in long format. Worksheet: Survival-ALL contains survival data for all tests and taxa. Subsequent worksheets provide data for each test taxa separately and includes sublethal observations if made). F. MI Ecotox-2017-18_F-ScanLabBook.pdf Scanned copy of the laboratory notebook associated with these tests. Notes were recorded by Cath King and Jessica Holan during the 17/18 Macquarie Island field season. G. MI Ecotox-2017-18_G-ScanObservationSheets.pdf Scanned copy of the handwritten raw observation sheets used to record test observations (observations scored by: Cath King and Jessica Holan). H. MI Ecotox-2017-18_H-ChemicalAnalysis-ALS-COA.pdf Certificate of Analysis for chemistry results for samples analysed by Australian Laboratory Services (ALS) Environmental, Melbourne. Includes Total Recoverable Hydrocarbons (TRH; with and without silica gel clean up), nutrients (nitrogen) and a standard toxicity test (Microtox). Client sample ID with “Ecotox TS” prefix are those relevant to this study (other samples are associated with broader site remediation monitoring for the 17/18 season). I. MI Ecotox-2017-18_I-ChemicalAnalysis-ALS-QAQC.pdf Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) report provided by ALS, in association with the Certificate of Analysis. As previous, Client sample ID with “Ecotox TS” prefix are relevant to this study. J. MI Ecotox-2017-18_J-size measurements.zip Measures of specimen body lengths (mm). The .zip file contains a text file named: SizeMeasurements-README.txt, providing a description of the content associated with these data.

Marine sediment samples were obtained from box corer, Smith-MacIntyre and Van Veen grabs. Samples were named by: 1. CEAMARC site (e.g. 16) 2. Instrument (e.g. box corer = BC; Smith-MacIntyre = GRSM; Van Veen = GRVV) 3. Sequence of sample at each site (e.g. first sample = 01; second sample = 02) So 16BC02 is the second sample at CEAMARC site 16, using the box corer. From each successful sample, a sub-sample was obtained: 1. 200 g surface scrape (labelled A) 2. short (20 cm) push core (labelled B) 3. bulk (labelled Bulk) 4. rocks-only (labelled Rocks) e.g. 16BC02A is a 200 g surface scrape subsample from 16BC02. 16BC02B is a push core subsample from 16BC02 16BC02Bulk is a bulk sediment subsample from 16BC02. 16BC02Rocks is a rocks-only subsample from 16BC02. Post-cruise analyses: 1. Grain size 2. Total organic carbon 3. Total organic nitrogen 4. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes 5. Biogenic silica and carbonate 6. Physical properties of cores 7. Zircon dating 8. X-rays for infauna and sedimentary structures Added by Alix Post - March 2010: Seabed samples were collected from 52 sites across the George V Shelf. Most samples were collected with a box corer (BC), though more gravelly sediments required a Smith-McIntyre (GRSM) or Van-Veen grab (GRVV) as indicated by the station name in the spreadsheet. A small volume of sediment was frozen following collection and later analysed for organic carbon and nitrogen content, in addition to carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Organic carbon and nitrogen values are express as percent of the total sediment, and have been corrected back to the total sediment volume. Isotopic values are expressed as values per mil. Where sufficient volume of sediment was collected, a mini-core was pushed into the sediment to provide a depth profile of the sample, and a bulk surface sample was also taken. Surface sediment samples analysed for sieve grainsize, calcium carbonate and biogenic silica content. All values are expressed as percentage values. The naming convention of the samples describes the type of gear used and the nature of the sediment analysed: e.g. 01BC01Bulk is a bulk sediment sample collected with a box core; 38GRVV02B/0-1 is a slice taken from 0 to 1 cm at the top of a van veen grab.

---- Public Summary from Project ---- The lakes and fjords of the Vestfold Hills region of Antarctica provide unique ecosystems for studying environmental changes in Antarctica over the past 8000 years. Studies of the changes in organic matter composition in sediment cores provide information how the microbial and plankton communities have changed over time in response to varying chemical and physical conditions. Our study will provide new information about how the cycles of the biologically-important elements carbon and sulfur are linked and why some sediments can preserve large amounts of organic carbon. This information will be useful for studies of palaeoclimate and will also provide valuable insights into the processes that produce petroleum source rocks. From the abstracts of the referenced papers: Preserved ribosomal DNA of planktonic phototrophic algae was recovered from Holocene anoxic sediments of Ace Lake (Antarctica), and the ancient community members were identified based on comparative sequence analysis. The similar concentration profiles of DNA of haptophytes and their traditional lipid biomarkers (alkenones and alkenoates) revealed that fossil rDNA also served as quantitative biomarkers in this environment. The DNA data clearly revealed the presence of six novel phylotypes related to known alkenone and alkenoate-biosynthesising haptophytes with Isochrysis galbana UIO 102 as their closest relative. The relative abundance of these phylotypes changed as the lake chemistry, particularly salinity, evolved over time. Changes in the alkenone distributions reflect these population changes rather than a physiological response to salinity by a single halophyte. Using this novel palaeo-ecological approach of combining data from lipid biomarkers and preserved DNA, we showed that the post-glacial development of Ace Lake from freshwater basin to marine inlet and the present-day lacustrine saline system caused major qualitative and quantitative changes in the biodiversity of the planktonic populations over time. Post-glacial Ace Lake (Vestfold Hills, Antarctica), which was initially a freshwater lake and then an open marine system, is currently a meromictic basin with anoxic, sulfidic and methane-saturated bottom waters. Lipid and 16S ribosomal RNA gene stratigraphy of up to 10,400-year-old sediment core samples from the lake revealed that these environmentally induced chemical and physical changes caused clear shifts in the species composition of archaea and aerobic methanotrophic bacteria. The combined presence of lipids specific for methanogenic archaea and molecular remains of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria (13C-depleted delta8(14)-sterols and 16S rRNA genes) revealed that an active methane cycle occurred in Ace Lake during the last 3000 calendar years and that the extant methanotrophs were most likely introduced when it became a marine inlet (9400 y BP); rDNA sequences showed 100% sequence similarity with Methanosarcinales species from freshwater environments and were the source of sn-2- and sn3-hydroxyarchaeols. Archaeal phylotypes related to uncultivated Archaea associated with various marine environments were recovered from the present-day anoxic water column and sediments deposited during the meromictic and marine period.

Crustaceans are an important component of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Large numbers live in or close to the sea-ice cover, using it as a refuge from predation and a source of food. However, the impact of these animals on algae that grows in the sea ice is unknown. This study is examining the diets and grazing rates of crustaceans in the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. These results will aid our understanding of the fate of algal production in sea-ice and will enable the construction of realistic carbon budgets for this ecosystem. This project was commenced in July 2002. A five-week voyage was undertaken on the RV Aurora Australis in October and November 2002, in the vicinity of the Mertz Glacier. Pack ice cores and sub-ice water samples were collected from 8 locations, with 3 to 5 samples of each type collected per site. The cores were sectioned in the field, melted and treated for further analysis. All samples were either preserved or frozen, depending on future requirements, and returned to Australia. Sea ice cores were processed for a range of analyses including microscopy, lipid class and fatty acid determination and stable isotope analysis. A physical description of the pack ice environment (ice type, ice thickness, snow cover, temperature profiles, salinity profiles) was also compiled. A second sampling of the pack ice occurred in Sept-Oct 2003. To date, the salinity and temperature profiles of the pack ice cores have been described and a database compiled of the physical description of the region. A large number of samples (10 sites; 5 ice/water/animal samples per site) was collected and analysis has begun of stable isotopic signatures, fatty acids, chlorophyll a and species identifications. Crustaceans have been sorted under the microscope and initial descriptions of gut contents begun. The third successful sampling trip was to the fast ice surrounding Davis Station during the 2003/04 summer. Two sites were sampled regularly, with a full suite of analyses undertaken. This will provide a temporal component to the project to complement the spatial approach used in the pack ice. Analysis of the fast ice samples is ongoing. Two more sampling trips were carried out during the 2004/05 season. The first in the pack ice offshore from Casey and the second in the fast ice at Casey. The same suite of analyses as listed above was carried out and analyses are ongoing. The download file contains five excel spreadsheets, as well as a word document which further explains data collection.

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 2357 See the link below for public details on this project. ---- Public Summary from Project ---- Contaminants like PCBs and DDE have hardly been used Antarctica. Hence, this is an excellent place to monitor global background levels of these organochlorines. In this project concentrations in penguins and petrels will be compared to 10 years ago, which will show time trends of global background contamination levels. Data set description From several birds from Hop Island, Rauer Islands near Davis, samples were collected from preenoil (oil that birds excrete to preen their feathers. This preenoil was then analysed for organochlorine pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls, (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), DDE and dieldrin. The species under investigation were the Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) and the Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides). The samples were collected from adult breeding birds, and stored in -20 degrees C as soon as possible. The analysis was done with relatively standard but very optimised methods, using a gas-chromatograph and mass-selective detection. Data sheets: The data are available in excel-sheets, located at Alterra, The Netherlands (the affiliation of the PI Nico van den Brink.). Data are available on PCB153 (polychlorinated biphenyl congener numbered 153), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), DDE (a metabolite of the pesticide DDT), and dieldrin (an insecticide). The metadata are in 4 sheets (in meta data 2357.xls): 1. 'Concentrations fulmars' 2. 'Morphometric data fulmars' 3. 'Concentrations Adelies' 4. 'Morphometric data Adelies' The column headings are: 1. 'Concentrations fulmars' - Fulmar: bird number, corresponds with sheet 'morphometric data fulmars'. - PCB153: concentration of PCB-congener 153 (ng/g lipids) - HCB: concentration of hexachlorobenzene (ng/g lipids) - DDE: concentration of DDE (ng/g lipids) - Dieldrin: concentration of dieldrin (ng/g lipids) - Sample size weight of collected amount of preenoil 2. Morphometric data fulmars - Fulmar: bird number, corresponds with sheet 'Concentrations fulmars'. - Bill Length (mm): length of bill (tip to base) - Head Length (mm): length of head (tip of bill to back of head) - Tarsus (mm): length of tarsus - Wing Length (cm): length of right wing - Weight (kg): weight of bird (without bag) 3. 'Concentrations Adelies' Adelie: bird number, corresponds with sheet 'morphometric data Adelies'. - PCB153: concentration of PCB-congener 153 (ng/g lipids) - HCB: concentration of hexachlorobenzene (ng/g lipids) - DDE: concentration of DDE (ng/g lipids) - Dieldrin: concentration of dieldrin (ng/g lipids) - Sample size weight of collected amount of preenoil 4. 'Morphometric data Adelies' - Adelie: bird number, corresponds with sheet 'Concentrations Adelies'. - Bill (mm): length of bill (tip to base) - Head Length (mm): length of head (tip of bill to back of head) - Tarsus (mm): length of tarsus - Flipper Length (cm): length of right flipper (wing) - Weight (kg): weight of bird (without bag) In sheets on concentrations: less than d.l.: concentrations below detection limits.

This metadata record covers ASAC projects 113, 191 and 625. (ASAC_113, ASAC_191, ASAC_625). The total lipid, fatty acid, sterol and pigment composition of water column particulates collected near the Australian Antarctic Base, Davis Station, were analysed over five summer seasons (1988-93) using capillary GC, GC-MS, TLC-FID and HPLC. Polar lipids were the dominant lipid class. Maximum lipid concentrations usually occurred in samples collected in December and January and corresponded with increased algal biomass. Both lipid profiles and microscopic observations showed significant variation in algal biomass and community structure in the water column during each season and on an interannual basis. During the period of diatom blooms (predominantly Nitzschia species) the dominant sterol and fatty acid were trans-22-dehydrocholesterol and 20:5w3, accompanied by a high 16:1w7 to 16:0 ratio. Very high polyunsaturated fatty acid and total lipid concentrations were associated with diatom blooms in the area. Bacterial markers increased late in all seasons after the summer algal blooms. Long chain C30 sterols also increased during the latter half of all seasons. Fjord samples collected in the area reflected greater biomass and diversity in algal and bacterial makers than coastal sites. Signature lipids for the alga Phaeocystis pouchetii, thought to be a major alga in Antarctic waters, were identified in field samples over the five summer seasons studied. Methods Study site Davis Base is situated on the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica and incorporates numerous lakes and fjords (Fig. 1). Samples of water column particulate matter were collected during five summer seasons (1988-93), 500 meters off-shore from Magnetic Island, situated 5 km NW of Davis. Three other sampling areas were situated in the fjords of the Vestfold hills and include two sites in Ellis Fjord, one midway along Ellis Fjord and one near Ellis Fjord mouth and one sample midway along Long Fjord (Fig. 1). These fjords are protected from the marine environment, but are both marine fjords. Davis Station and Magnetic Island were used for the weekly sample sites. The mouth of Long Fjord, the mouth of Ellis Fjord, midway down Long Fjord, the deep basin in Ellis Fjord, O'Gorman Rocks and Hawker island (ocean side) were used for monthly samples. Field collection There was an initial pilot season in 1988-89, which was followed by two more detailed studies in the summers of 1989-90 and 1990-91. Four samples was also analysed from the 1991-92 and five from the 1992-93 summer seasons. During the initial pilot study at Magnetic Island in the 1988-89 summer, three water column particle samples were taken for lipid analyses. The 1989-90 and 1990-91 summer field seasons incorporated weekly sampling of the water column particulates at Magnetic Island. The phytoplankton in the fjords were studied during the summers of 1989-90 and 1990-91. The three sites that were chosen were all sampled three times in each season. Samples were also collected during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons from the Magnetic Island and Fjord site s for pigment analyses. Three and five samples were collected respectively in the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. Samples were also taken for microscopic analyses. For lipid analyses 30-40 liter water column particulate samples were collected at a depth of 10 m. A Seastar or INFILTREX water sampler was used in situ to filter the water through a 14.2 cm Schleicher and Schuell glass fibre filter over a three to four hour period. All filters used during sampling were preheated in a muffle furnace at 500 degrees C overnight to minimise contamination. For pigment analyses 2 to 4 litres were filtered through glass fibre filters (4.7 cm GF/F, nominal pore size 0.7 micro meters). The samples were frozen at -20 degrees C until extraction.

The data set includes information relevant for the study and description of sea-ice bacteria contains the following dataset subgroups and is organised by REFERENCE number. 1) Isolation data: strain designations (e.g. culture collection names are indicated for type cultures); media used for isolation and routine cultivation; temperature used for incubation; any special conditions (e.g. enrichment conditions) used for isolation; isolation site and type (e.g. sea-ice); availability of the indicated strain from the chief investigator (J. Bowman) 2) Phenotypic data: Includes morphological, physiological and biochemical tests performed. Details on how these were performed are indicated in the relevant reference. 3) Growth/temperature data: data for temperature related growth curves are given where available. Methods are indicated in the associated reference. 4) Fatty acid/chemotaxonomy data: fatty acid and other related data are given where available. Methods are indicated in the associated reference. 5) Genotypic data: data for DNA-guanosine/cytosine-content and genomic DNA:DNA hybridization are shown where available. Methods are indicated in the associated reference. 6) Phylogenetic data: data for sequences are cross-referenced to the GenBank database. In some cases, aligned sequence datasets are available in FASTA format and can be viewed in the programs BIOEDIT (www.mbio.ncsu.edu/BioEdit/bioedit.html) or CLUSTAL W (www.ebi.ac.uk/clustalw). 7) Other related published references which are useful or relevant to the dataset e.g. related sequences published subsequent to the ASAC study