In March 2023, cell densities of the Arctic diatom Thalassiosira gravida (isolated from the Central Arctic Ocean) were determined to calculate its growth rates at different temperatures and photoperiods in the presence and absence of its natural microbiome. Therefore, a full-factorial experimental design was chosen with two levels of temperature (9°C; 13.5°C) and photoperiod (16h; 24h), to which axenic and xenic diatom cultures were acclimated for one week in climate cabinets prior to the start of the actual growth experiment at a light intensity of 50 µmol photons m-2 s-1. With an initial cell density of 1500 cells/ml, axenic and xenic diatoms were grown under the respective experimental conditions until a cell density of approximately 15000 cells/ml was reached. Cell densities were determined microscopically using an inverted light microscope, following the procedure described in detail in Giesler et al. (2023, 10.3389/fmars.2023.1244639).