Meiofauna monitoring in the Trieste harbour, Northern Adriatic Sea (Port Authority), 2013 and 2015. In June 2013 and March 2015, sampling was carried out in the harbour of the Trieste port by a KC Haps bottom corer with polycarbonate sample tubes (12.7 cm I.D. with a sample area of 127 cm2). In laboratory, one sediment core was subsampled by means of 3 cut-off plastic syringes (2.7 cm I.D., surface area of 5.72 cm2, 0-10 cm top sediment) in order to obtain three pseudoreplicates for the meiofauna. Meiofaunal organisms (38–1000 m) were extracted from sediment subsamples by sieving each pseudoreplicate and by centrifuging the material retained by a 38 μm mesh net with Ludox HS-40 (density of 1.15–1.18 g cm−3). All meiobenthic organisms were counted and taxonomically classified to the main groups under a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZX12; final magnification of × 32-40)

Posidonia oceanica meadows data are collected in Mediterranean sea, in particular for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

Meiofauna monitoring in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, southern Italy), 2013-2014 in the framework of the Italian flagship project RITMARE. In June 2013 and April 2014, sampling was carried out at four sites by scuba divers who collected five virtually undisturbed sediment cores using polycarbonate sample tubes (12.7 cm I.D. with a sample area of 127 cm2). In laboratory, one sediment core was subsampled by means of 3 cut-off plastic syringes (2.7 cm I.D., surface area of 5.72 cm2, 0-10 cm top sediment) in order to obtain three pseudoreplicates for the meiofauna. Meiofaunal organisms (38–1000 µm) were extracted from sediment subsamples by sieving each pseudoreplicate and by centrifuging the material retained by a 38 μm mesh net with Ludox HS-40 (density of 1.15–1.18 g cm−3). All meiobenthic organisms were counted and taxonomically classified to the main groups under a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZX12; final magnification of 32-40x)

A requirement of the Water Framework Directive is that benthic macro-invertebrates must be sampled from coastal and transitional waters at least twice within a river basin cycle (6 years) in order to classify these waterbodies. Numerous samples will be taken from sites in matched habitats throughout the water body. Sampling and analysis is carried out according to established protocols. The Directive requires the sampling of nominated coastal and transitional waters for benthic macro-invertebrates. This includes the field sampling, processing and analysis of samples. In addition, grab samples have been taken on vessels of opportunity and are considered suitable to fulfill obligations under the WFD. For each grab sample collected this dataset contains: - lists and abundance of benthic species >1mm, -sediment particle size analysis (PSA), -Folk (1954) sediment classification, and an estimate of organic matter (LOI).

Free-living nematodes of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, southern Italy), 2013-2014 in the framework of the Italian flagship project RITMARE. In June 2013 and April 2014, sampling was carried out at four sites by scuba divers who collected five virtually undisturbed sediment cores using polycarbonate sample tubes (12.7 cm I.D. with a sample area of 127 cm2). In laboratory, one sediment core was subsampled by means of 3 cut-off plastic syringes (2.7 cm I.D., surface area of 5.72 cm2, 0-10 cm top sediment) in order to obtain three pseudoreplicates.

Monthly mesoozooplankton samplings started in 1959, performed by vertical tows of Hensen net (73 cm mouth diameter, 330 μm mesh size) from 100–0 m at towing speed of 0.3 m s-1. Samples were fixed in 2 % formaldehyde solution buffered with borax. No flowmeter was used. From 1959-2017 mesozooplankton was sampled on approximately monthly basis and data are available from March 1959 to December 2017 (with gaps) and include the abundances expressed as no.ind.m-3 at group level of the zooplankton groups such as Copepoda, Cladocera, Appendicularia, Chaetognatha, Tunicata, Ostracoda, Polychaeta, Decapoda larvae, various meroplankton larvae, Pisces ova, Pisces larvae and Hydromedusae/Siphonophora. From 2004 - 2012 the sampling program was interrupted. The samples from 2012 - 2016 are currently being processed and not yet part of this series.

Sightings and strandings of both dead and alive marine turtles in the British Isles and the Republic of Ireland.

The North Atlantic and Arctic Isopoda dataset contains three parts: 1. Distribution records collected from literature; 2. Distribution records of specimens collected by the BIOICE project (Benthic Invertebrates of Icelandic waters 1992-2004); 3. Distribution records of specimens collected by the IceAGE project (Icelandic marine animals: Genetics and Ecology, since 2011). This dataset contains distribution data regarding the 2nd group, isopods occurrences sampled during the BIOICE project

Monthly mesoozooplankton samplings started in 1950s, performed by vertical tows of Hensen net (73 cm mouth diameter, 330 μm mesh size) from 35–0 m. Samples were fixed in 2 % formaldehyde solution buffered with borax. No flowmeter was used. From 1950s-1995 mesozooplankton was sampled on approximately monthly basis and data are available from January 1972 to November 1995 (with gaps in 1975) and include the abundances expressed as no.ind.m-3 at group level of the zooplankton groups such as Copepoda, Cladocera, Appendicularia, Chaetognatha, Tunicata, Ostracoda, Polychaeta, Decapoda larvae, various meroplankton larvae, Pisces ova, Pisces larvae and Hydromedusae/Siphonophora. From 1995 the sampling program with Hensen net was interrupted and investigations continued with Nansen net, 125 μm mesh size.