Dataset: Counts of colonists collected from colonization plates at the East Pacific Rise (EPR) deep-sea vents (1998-2017)

Counts of colonist species and morphogroups on post-eruption sandwiches (at P-vent) and pre-eruption blocks (at East Wall) near 9°50'N on the East Pacific Rise (EPR). Recovery date (months since January 2006 eruption), deployment habitat zone (H=Hot, W=Warm, C=Cool), sample ID, and recovery temperature (deg C) are presented for each sample. Species and morphogroups were matched to equal or lowest level taxon in the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Data were provided using Darwin Core terms to enable harvesting by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS).

Data are also provided in a wide format [see Data Files section] with columns for each sample which indicate monthsSinceEruption - Zone - samplerID - temperatureRecovered, e.g., 9-H-2-26.7 indicates nine months post-eruption, in zone hot, sampler ID 2, recovered at 26.7 deg C. Values in each of these columns indicate counts of individuals identified to that dataProviderName for that sample. Zeroes denote absence. 

Spatiotemporal metadata for the samples are provided in Dataset: Colonization sampler log https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/733210. These data are published in Mullineaux et al (2012). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050015.