Description: This data is part of the BMBF project CUSCO (Coastal Upwelling Systems in a Changing Ocean). Here we report pigment concentrations and the phytoplankton community composition based on CHEMTAX analysis during a 35-day experiment, where we enclosed natural plankton communities in in-situ mesocosms off Peru. The experiment investigated the interactive effects of light and upwelling on the Humboldt upwelling ecosystem by mimicking a gradient of upwelling intensities (0%, 15%, 30%, 45% and 60%) under summer-time high light and winter-time low light. Integrated seawater samples from a depth between 0 and 10m were collected using a 5L Integrating Water sampler (IWS; Hydro-Bios, Kiel). To obtain pigment concentrations 0.15 – 1L of water sampled from the water column were filtered onto glass-fiber filters (precombusted at 450°C for 6h, GFF, 0.7 µm nominal pore size, Whatman) using a low vacuum of 200 mbar. Afterwards the filters were stored in cryovials at -80°C until analysis of photosynthetic pigments using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) following (Barlow et al., 1997; doi:10.3354/meps161303) as described by (Paul et al., 2015; doi:10.5194/bg-19-5911-2022). The phytoplankton community composition was calculated with CHEMTAX, which classifies phytoplankton taxa based upon taxon-specific pigment ratios (Mackey et al., 1996; doi:10.3354/meps144265). The values for the Peruvian upwelling system determined by (DiTullio et al., 2005; doi:10.4319/LO.2005.50.6.1887) as described by (Meyer et al., 2017; doi:10.3389/fmars.2017.00001) were used as pigment ratios. As phytoplankton microscopy revealed high abundances of the raphydophite Fibrocapsa japonica, the initial pigment matrix was complemented by ratios for F. japonica from (Laza-Martinez et al., 2007; doi:10.1093/plankt/fbm069) from the Atlantic.

Description: This data is part of the BMBF projects CUSCO (Coastal Upwelling Systems in a Changing Ocean) and BioTip subproject Humboldt Tipping. Data was collected during cruise number MSM80 with research vessel Maria S. Merian from 23.12.2018 - 30.01.2019 (from Panama to Valparaiso) in the Humboldt Upwelling system off the Eastern Tropical south Pacific. Samples were taken by CTD- rosette sampler from different depths and analysed onboard for dissolved inorganic nutrients and total dissolved nutrients. Triplicate nutrient samples were analysed for concentrations with an autosampler (XY-2 autosampler, SEAL Analytical) and a continuous flow analyzer (QUAAtro Autoanalyzer, SEAL Analytical) using standard colorimetric and flourometric methods by Kastriot Qelaj. Dissolved organic nutrients were calculated as the difference of the two for respective nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients. Phosphate was measured according to Murphy and Riley (1962). Ammonium was measured fluorometrically based on Holmes et al. (1999). An empty cell means that corresponding nutrient samples were not taken for the respective depth.