The file includes the respiration rate (milligrams of Oxygen per gram of dry mass (without tunic) per day) of three antarctic solitary ascidians (Cnemidocarpa verrucosa, Molgula pedunculata and Ascidia challengeri) under increasing sediment concentrations (from natural seston (NS) to NS + Additional Suspended particulate matter (SPM) from 5 to 400 mg/L). Individuals were sampled carefully by SCUBA diving during austral summer 2006-2007 in Potter Cove (58°43'5.214"W; 62°14'24.184"S) at 20 m depth. Experiments where performed after acclimation to aquarium conditions in the Dallmann laboratory on Carlini station (58°43'5.214"W; 62°14'24.184"S).