Lipid dynamics of Arctic pteropods (Limacina spp., Thecosomata) in response to ocean warming and acidification during a seven day incubation experiment

This dataset contains the results of a lab experiment performed in Ny Ålesund (Arctic, Svalbard, 78° 55′ N, 11° 56′ O) from 22.–29. August 2013. We collected early-stage thecosome pteropods (Limacina spp.) in Kongsfjord to investigate the response of their lipid metabolism (response variables: total lipids, lipid classes, fatty acids, fatty alcohols) to ocean warming and acidification (OWA). Pteropods were collected on August 21 with a 100 µm plankton net (0.2 square meter mouth opening, 1 L cod end) integrated from 300 m depth in Kongsfjord. The OWA experiment was designed to cover end-of the century projections for temperature and pCO2 and included two temperature treatments (3.5°C = mean in situ temperature averaged over the depth range where pteropods where collected from, and 5.5°C resembling a 2°C temperature increase projected for the Arctic Ocean in the upper 100-200 m, Steinacher et al. 2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-6-515-2009) and three pCO2 levels chosen according to the RCP 8.5 scenario (present day = 400 µatm, year 2080 = 750 µatm, and >2100 = 1100 µatm). Temperature treatments were realized in temperature controlled rooms. pCO2 levels were established by bubbling filtered seawater (20 µm filtered) with Wösthoff gas mixing pumps (Wösthoff, Germany). For each treatment level six replicates (one vessel á 300 ml = one experimental unit = one replicate) were established with 200 incubated early-stage pteropods (ca. 300 µm shell length of individual pteropods). To assure that oxygen concentrations in the vessels did not fall below critical saturation levels of oxygen partial pressure for marine mollusks due to respiration of the incubated pteropods, the experimental seawater was changed regularly. Along with the analyzed lipid data, this dataset also includes the carbonate chemistry data of the perturbed experimental seawater and of that in the experimental units (start/end measurements as well as pH development in the experimental units).