Multiyear data on benthic foraminifera in a glaciated fjord of Svalbard

Glaciers in the fjords of Svalbard have been receding over last decades. Tempelfjorden, a typical glaciated fjord in West Spitsbergen (78°24′06″ N, 17°02′30″ E), has been sampled in summer 1995 and 2001–2007 for modern benthic foraminifera. We have normalized the abundances and unified the taxonomy of all these published and unpublished data sets and then compiled the record of foraminiferal assemblages changing over years into a comprehensive database. The record includes data on living and dead abundances of benthic foraminiferal species in the surface sediments (0–2 cm) and downcore abundances of living foraminifera (only for 2004). This database portrays benthic foraminifera, this key group of microfossils, in a gradually changing Arctic environment.

Glaciers in the fjords of Svalbard have been receding over last decades. Tempelfjorden, a typical glaciated fjord in West Spitsbergen (78°24′06″ N, 17°02′30″ E), has been sampled in summer 1995 and 2001-2007 for modern benthic foraminifera. We have normalized the abundances and unified the taxonomy of all these published and unpublished data sets and then compiled the record of foraminiferal assemblages changing over years into a comprehensive database. The record includes data on living and dead abundances of benthic foraminiferal species in the surface sediments (0-2 cm) and downcore abundances of living foraminifera (only for 2004). This database portrays benthic foraminifera, this key group of microfossils, in a gradually changing Arctic environment.  Value of the data The data make it possible to link the multiyear dynamics of benthic foraminiferal assemblages and glacier retreat.
The data allow assessing the response of foraminiferal assemblages to surge events of the glacier in the fjord head.
The data on vertical distribution of live benthic foraminifera in 10 cm cores can be used to reveal species-specific microhabitat preferences in a glaciated environment.

Data
Fjords are natural archives of sediments that can provide high-resolution records of late-and postglacial palaeoceanographic changes. Today, subpolar fjords are often affected by glacial sedimentation [1] with glaciers delivering substantial amount of mineral matter. Turbid meltwater is the main sources of environmental stress for the benthic organisms. This stress affects the structure of modern benthic assemblages [2][3][4][5]. Studies of present-day processes in subpolar glaciated fjords are essential for accurate interpretation of past environmental records [6].
Two glaciers terminate in the head of Tempelfjorden, the tidewater Tunabreen merged with the landbased Von Postbreen (see [4] and [8] for the detail). Both glaciers have experienced several surges over the last two centuries [7]. Previous surveys recorded substantial changes in benthic foraminiferal assemblages along the Tempelfjorden in 1995 and 2006 [4,8]. The data presented here cover the modern surface and downcore distribution of living and dead benthic foraminifera in Tempelfjorden in years 1995 and 2001-2007. The species list is taxonomically verified, and all abundances are normalized to 10 cm 3 .
The dataset consists of: 1. A station list showing sampling dates, locations and water depths (Table 1) (Tables 11-14).

Sampling and laboratory procedure
Samples were obtained during 8 summer cruises of research vessels to Tempelfjorden in 1995 and 2001-2007 ( Fig. 1, Table 1). Sediment samples were retrieved using a box corer or interface corer. A volume of 80 to 200 cm 3 of seafloor sediments from the 0-2-cm interval was sampled at each station. Additionally, in 2004, four short cores were obtained to reveal the vertical distribution of dominant and common species at different distances from the glaciers in the fjord head. Samples were preserved with 96% alcohol solution of Rose Bengal dye (1 g/L) in order to distinguish living specimens from dead. In the laboratory, samples were washed on sieves with the 0.125 mm and 1 mm mesh sizes and dried in an oven at 80°C. Dry samples were split using a dry splitter. From each split a minimum of 300 living and dead foraminifera were identified to the lowest possible taxon and counted under a dissecting microscope. Tables 2-14 show pulled data for both size fractions (0.125 mm and 1 mm) with the proportion of larger fraction provided at the bottom of each table.          Table 9 Densities of living and dead benthic foraminifera from sediment-surface samples retrieved in 2007 (replication A).