We present the first analysis of the relative contribution of variability in shell flux, shell size, and calcification intensity (weight/size) in individual species to the total calcite flux by the planktonic foraminifera community on intra-annual (seasonal) and interannual timescales. We investigated the export flux of planktonic foraminifera in two one-year sediment trap time series from the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean and placed the observed variability of shell flux, shell size, and calcification intensity of each species in the context of the resulting calcite flux. For this issue, we selected 1990-1991 (Cape Blanc-3) and 2007-2008 (Cape Blanc-18) time series from the Cape Blanc upwelling area. Each of these deployments covered an entire year continuously, with an average sampling resolution of ~20 days. Here, we provide the data concerning the species counts and shell weight, picked from size fractions > 150 µm, captured during the studied time series. Shell mass error was calculated as the standard deviation of the measurements divided by the square root of number of measurements, divided by the number of the weighed specimens.

Measured shell weight values are average shell masses.