These data were collected in 2024 for a PhD project, including the dissolved trace metal data and particulate trace metal data from the diatom-Antarctic krill experiment. The particulate trace metal data were collected from diatom culture grown in the lab and Antarctic krill culture sourced from AAD.

We dissect the spokes of the ferrous wheel associated with Fe demand by quantifying the uptake rates of heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton in the subantarctic Southern Ocean during summer and situate these findings within a seasonal context. To do so, we conducted bioassays in which the effects of light on Fe photochemistry and uptake physiology were studied by comparing light and dark incubations, and the effects of DOC supply and competition between phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria were examined by isolating bacteria from the larger members of the ferrous wheel by pre-incubation size fractionation.