Metabarcoding data of the diatom-specific chloroplast rbcL gene of marine diatom communities
We used eDNA metabarcoding to characterise diatom communities on standard industrial mesh and composite fabric materials across two seasons (winter and summer), two exposure regimes (sheltered and exposed), and three depths (surface, 5 m, and 10 m) in New Zealand coastal waters. We characterised over 11,826 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) across 568 samples, revealing 134 species from 6 taxonomic classes. We investigated both seasonal succession and short-term recruitment patterns. Our objectives were to: (1) assess alpha diversity across environmental gradients; (2) examine temporal shifts in community composition and beta diversity; (3) evaluate the influence of key environmental and non-environmental drivers, particularly temperature, wind exposure, light, and materials; and (4) explore the links between diatom communities and eukaryotic macrofouling communities.