title: 18SV1V2 metabarcoding of metazoan eDNA in the deep ocean
design: Seawater samples were collected during three oceanographic cruises (TAN1711, SO261, and ATACAMEX) conducted in the South Pacific over the Kermadec and Atacama trenches. The TAN1711 with RV Tangoroa cruise (from November 24th to December 14th, 2017) covered a transect from New Zealand (4118'S, 17447'W) to the Northern Kermadec Trench (2101'S, 17512'W), involving four oceanographic stations. Both the SO261 cruise with RV Sonne (from January 28th to February 1st, 2018) and the ATACAMEX cruise with RV Cabo de Hornos (February 5th to march 28th, 2018) covered three oceanographic stations along one meridional transect at 2314'S and 2329'S off Chile (Fig. 1, Table S1). Each sample was filtered across a hydrophilic nylon membrane (Merck Millipore, Massachusetts, USA) using a peristaltic pump. The membrane disc containing captured eDNA and cellular material from the water column was filled with lysis buffer and stored at -80C.