MOSAiC Expedition Sea Ice Microbial Community Data

Data from the 2019/2020 MOSAiC expedition's Leg 2, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, focuses on organic matter release during sea ice deformation. It contains measurements of bacteria, protists, chlorophyll a, particulate organic carbon, and brine volume fraction from sea ice and water column samples. The dataset was published by Lasse Mork Olsen in 2026.

Use Cases

• Correlate brine volume fraction with bacterial production rates to model habitat suitability within sea ice.
• Analyze relationships between chlorophyll a concentrations and protist biomass to assess primary production in polar night conditions.
• Use particulate organic carbon measurements from sea ice to estimate carbon sequestration potential in deformed ice regions.
• Compare flow cytometry counts of heterotrophic nanoflagellates with light microscopy identifications to validate quantification methods for protists.

Strengths

• Data originates from the large-scale MOSAiC expedition, a major international Arctic research program.
• Includes multiple complementary measurement methods (light microscopy, flow cytometry, fluorometry, elemental analysis).
• Covers a linked set of variables including microbial counts, biomass, production, and physico-chemical ice properties.

Limitations

• The dataset is very small at 50.3 KB, indicating limited sample size or number of recorded observations.
• Temporal coverage is restricted to a single expedition leg during the 2019/2020 Arctic winter.
• Sample collection methods (e.g., ROV net tows, ice coring) may introduce spatial and temporal sampling biases.

Provenance

Source

Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.

Collection Method

Samples collected via ice corers, Niskin bottles, ROV-mounted nets and pumps during the MOSAiC expedition.

Time Range

2019-2020 (specific to Leg 2 of the MOSAiC expedition).

Freshness

Published in 2026, based on data collected in 2019/2020.

Geography

Central Arctic Ocean, MOSAiC expedition drift track.