Phytoplankton data collected in the Black Sea between 1956 and 1960 and processed by Hilarius Skolka and Nicolae Bodeanu. This dataset contains abundance data (cells per liter) and biomass (mg/m3) for individual phytoplankton taxa. Samples were taken by 1L Nansen bottle at standard depths. The standard sedimentation technique for samples preparation (Morozova-Vodianitkaia, 1954) was used.