Data from: Free-living bacterial communities associated with tubeworm (Ridgeia piscesae) aggregations in contrasting diffuse flow hydrothermal vent habitats at the Main Endeavour Field, Juan de Fuca Ridge

We systematically studied free-living bacterial diversity within aggregations of the vestimentiferan tubeworm Ridgeia piscesae sampled from two contrasting flow regimes (High Flow and Low Flow) in the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents Marine Protected Area (MPA) on the Juan de Fuca Ridge (Northeast Pacific). Eight samples of particulate detritus were recovered from paired tubeworm grabs from four vent sites. Most sequences (454 tag and Sanger methods) were affiliated to the Epsilonproteobacteria, and the sulfur-oxidizing genus Sulfurovum was dominant in all samples. Gammaproteobacteria were also detected, mainly in Low Flow sequence libraries, and were affiliated with known methanotrophs and decomposers. The cooccurrence of sulfur reducers from the Deltaproteobac- teria and the Epsilonproteobacteria suggests internal sulfur cycling within these habitats. Other phyla detected included Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Deinococcus–Thermus. Statisti- cally significant relationships between sequence library composition and habitat type suggest a predictable pattern for High Flow and Low Flow environments. Most sequences significantly more represented in High Flow libraries were related to sulfur and hydrogen oxidizers, while mainly heterotrophic groups were more represented in Low Flow libraries. Differences in temperature, avail- able energy for metabolism, and stability between High Flow and Low Flow habitats potentially explain their distinct bacterial communities.Sanger sequencing fasta file from free-living bacterial communities associated with Ridgeia piscesae - A Canadian Healthy Oceans Network Population Connectivity project, PC-11Near-complete SSU rRNA gene sequences obtained from particulate detritus associated with Ridgeia piscesae in hydrothermal habitats contrasted by flow regime. This data was obtained from Sanger sequencing.CHONe_PC-11_ForgetN_data(1).fasPyrosequencing fasta file from free-living bacteria associated with Ridgeia piscesae - A Canadian Healthy Oceans Network Population Connectivity project, PC-11Partial SSU rRNA gene sequences obtained from particulate detritus associated with Ridgeia piscesae in hydrothermal habitats contrasted by flow regime. This data was obtained from pyrosequencing.CHONe_PC-11_ForgetN_data(2).fasGroup file for the pyrosequencing fasta file - A Canadian Healthy Oceans Network Population Connectivity project, PC-11Group file required in order to perform analysis on the pyrosequencing fasta file. This file was obtained from the software mothur.CHONe_PC-11_ForgetN_data(3).group