Abundance and biomass of macrobenthos in the Black Sea during Mare Nigrum cruise S-RO1

Dataset containing macrobenthos data for samples collected during April 2008 in the North-West Black Sea (between 44°46' - 43°45' N latitude and 30° 11' - 29°35' E longitude). Macrobenthos sampling was done in 4 stations using a 0.14 m**2 Van Veen grab. Washing of the sample through two sieves - 1 mm and 0.25 mm mesh size; the material retained by the two sieves was examined at the binocular microscope; all animals were extracted, using fine tweezers and the species or group of species were identified and counted (in order to determine the density of populations); the larger organisms were measured and weighed (structure and biomass); for smaller organisms, the average wet weights inscribed in standard tables were used to calculate the biomass. Taxonomic identification was done at the GeoEcoMar by A. Teaca and T. Begun using the relevant taxonomic literature (Key-book for the identification of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov Fauna, 1968 -1972, Kiev - in Russian, V 1-4; BACESCU, M.C., MÜLLER, G. I., GOMOIU, M.-T., 1971 and BACESCU, M.C., MÜLLER, G. I., GOMOIU, M.-T., 1971-Benthic ecological research to Black Sea. Comparative quantitative and qualitative analyse of pontic benthic fauna. Marine Ecology, 4, 1-357 (in Romanian).

Abundance and biomass of meiobenthos in the Black Sea during Mare Nigrum cruise S-RO2

Dataset containing meiobenthos data for samples collected during the September 2008 Sesame Cruise in the North-West Black Sea on board of the Romanian R/V Mare Nigrum. Meiobenthos samples were collected in 5 stations, using a multicorer MARK II-400. The dataset includes 5 samples analysed for meiobenthos species composition, abundance and biomass. The entire washed sample was analyzed under the binocular stereomicroscope. Meiobenthic species were identified and enumerated; some meiobenthic species were identified and enumerated only at higher taxonomic level. Taxonomic identification was done at GEOECOMAR.