The data published here were used to determine temporal variability in the drivers of zooplankton community composition, and to identify associations between individual species and different environmental metrics. Here, we provide two datasets, which are used in the paper by Sinclair et al. titled: "Consistent and transient drivers of freshwater zooplankton communities". Each dataset is provided as a separate tab in a single Excel spreadsheet. The “Info” tab provides more detail on each. The first dataset ("Zooplankton community") provides the total abundance of each adult zooplankton species detected across 29 lakes from southern Ontario, Canada in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. The second dataset ("Lake environments") contains information on the depth, area, and water chemistry of each sampled lake in each year. Collection methods and dates are detailed in the associated article and variable descriptions and units are included in the "Info" tab.

Please refer to the associated article for data collection methods.

Please refer to the associated article and attached metadata for information on variable transformations and data usage.