RV SONNE expedition SO265 was the central activity of the research project Shatsky Evolution that was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and was conducted from 2018-08-26 and 2018-10-11 by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in collaboration with international partners (Geldmacher et al., 2018, GEOMAR Report 47, doi: 10.3289/GEOMAR_rep_ns_47_2018). The goal of the project was the investigation of the late stage evolution of Shatsky Rise, a vast, submarine volcanic plateau in the northwest Pacific. In particular, the project aimed to study the transition from plateau volcanism (the main body of Shatsky Rise) to postulated hotspot track volcanism (Papanin Ridge and/or Ojin Rise seamounts). Obtained bathymetric data were acquired by the ships own EM 122 multibeam system. Dredge hauls were conducted between ~36° N and ~44°N and 163° E and ~170°E covering the entire geographic extent of Papanin Ridge and the Ojin Rise seamount province. In addition, a single dredge haul was successfully conducted at Hokkaido Trough (45°06 N, 162°27E). Collected rock samples will be used for volcanological, geochronological, petrological and geochemical analyses. This data is part of the DAM (German Marine Research Alliance) underway research data project.