Gradients of bacteria in the oceanic water column reveal finely-resolved vertical distributions
v1v2 Illumina amplicon sequence data of the 16S rRNA gene. we implemented resolved approaches for studying evolutionary relationships and bacterial vertical distributions in the ocean. Replicated sampling was performed at multiple depths, at different sites in and near Monterey Bay off coastal USA, ranging from the surface waters to the seafloor over seasons and years, which facilitated identification of robust patterns in bacterial diversity profiles.