Occurrence of Eukaryotes in the size fraction >200 micrometres, collected worldwide during the Tara Oceans expedition (2009-2013) using a WPII net and analysed on a ZooScan imaging platform

The Tara Oceans project sampled contrasting ecosystems of the world oceans during a three-year expedition (2009-2013), collecting environmental data and plankton, from viruses to metazoans, on board the 36-metre Tara Schooner. It surveyed 210 ecosystems in 20 biogeographic provinces, collecting over 35,000 samples of seawater and plankton. Samples were later analysed using modern sequencing and state-of-the-art imaging technologies.
We are keen to thank the commitment of the following people and sponsors who made this singular expedition possible: CNRS, EMBL, Genoscope/CEA, VIB, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, UNIMIB, ANR (projects POSEIDON, BIOMARKS, PROMETHEUS, and TARA-GIRUS), FWO, BIO5, Biosphere 2, agnès b., the Veolia Environment Foundation, Region Bretagne, World Courier, Illumina, Cap L'Orient, the EDF Foundation EDF Diversiterre, FRB, the Prince Albert II de Monaco Foundation, Etienne Bourgois, the Tara schooner and its captain and crew. Tara Oceans would not exist without the continuous support of the participating 23 institutes