Dataset: Oceanographic data from 12 monthly cruises off the Israeli coast in the east Mediterranean conducted between Feb 2018 and Jan 2019 at a continental shelf station (~140m depth) and an open-deep water station.

The Levantine basin of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) is one of the most oligotrophic regions of the world ocean, yet supports relatively diverse populations of organisms from microbes to fish. In this ecosystem, processes involving both seasonal bottom up control (nutrient limitation) and biotic interactions (such as coupling of primary productivity to heterotrophic growth and grazing) likely control community structure and function. The EMS, despite being an inland sea, has many of the characteristics of a major ocean gyre, while being highly accessible - only a few hours by ship from shore. Thus, the EMS is an accessible natural laboratory to study biotic and a-biotic processes affecting oligotrophic seas.