The three digital maps provided in this product aim to assess the degree of Offshore windfarm siting suitability existing over a geographical area with a focal point where waters of France and Spain meet in Biscay Bay on 500 m depth. The maps display respectively the spatial distribution of the average and lowest windfarm siting suitability scores along with the average wind speed distribution over a time period of 10 years. They are part of a process set up to assess the fit for use quality of the currently available datasets to support a preliminary selection of potential offshore sites for wind energy development. To build these maps, GIS tools were applied to several key spatial datasets from the 5 data type domains considered in the project: Air, Marine Water, Riverbed/Seabed, Biota/Biology and Human Activities, collated during the initial stages of the project. Initially, each selected dataset was formatted and clipped to the study area extent and spatially classified according to suitability scores, to define raster layers with the variables depicting levels of current anthropogenic and environmental spatial occupation of activities, seabed depth and slope, distances to shoreline, shipping intensity, mean significant wave height, and substrate type. These pre-processed layers were employed as inputs for applying a spatial multi-criteria model using a wind farming suitability classification based on a discrete 5 grades index, ranging from Very Low up to Very High suitability. In adition to suitability maps, an average wind speed spatial distribution map for a 10 years period, at 10 m height, was obtained over the study area from the raster processing of a wind speed time series of monthly means available from daily wind analysis data. The characteristics of the datasets used in this exercise underwent an appropriateness evaluation procedure based on a comparison between their measured quality and those specified for the product. All the spatial information made available in these maps and from the subsequent appropriateness analysis of the datasets, contributes to a clearer overview of the amount of public-access baseline knowledge currently existing for the North Atlantic basin area.

Calculation of the average annual sediment balance per stretch of coast for the past 10 years.

This product attempt to follow up on the sea level rise per stretch of coast of the North Atlantic, over past 100 years as follows: • Characterization of absolute sea level trend at annual resolution, along the coasts of EU Member States (including Outermost Regions), Canada, Faroes, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Morocco, Norway and USA; The stretchs or coast are defined by the administrative regions of the Atlantic Coast: • from NUTS3** administrative division for EU countries (see Eurostat), and • from GADM*** administrative divisions for non-EU countries. ** Third level of Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics *** Global Administrative Areas For absolute sea level trend for 100 years we extract the information from grided sea level reconstruction datasets (using a combination of satellite and tide gauges) and extrapolate it to the nearest strecth of coast. The product is Provided in tabular form and as a map layer.

This data product selects sample areas of digital bathymetry, chosen for their relevance to marine activities and data sources alternative to GEBCO. The approach for building the digital map of water depth is to use GEBCO as a baseline and look at a set of sample areas where GEBCO could be improved upon. Sample areas have also been selected to be representative of each continent bordering the Atlantic and expected future requirements. Data sources include GEBCO, EMODNET, USGS and CHS.

The impact of fishing on benthic habitats has previously been investigated however; a conclusive classification of potentially sensitive habitats per gear type does not exist. Currently only qualitative estimates of fishery impact using Broad-scale habitat maps are possible. Here a sensitivity matrix using both fishing pressure (fishing Intensity) and habitat sensitivity is employed to define habitat disturbance categories. The predominant fishing activities associated with physical abrasion of the seafloor area are from bottom contacting towed fishing gear. The swept area of the aforementioned gear in contact with the seabed is generally considered a function of gear width, vessel speed and fishing effort (ICES. 2015). The varying characteristics of fishing gear, their interaction with the sea floor and species being targeted; provide scope for differing interactions with subsurface (infaunal) and surface (epifaunal) dwelling communities. An evaluation of the abrasion pressure and habitat sensitivity split into surface and subsurface pressure allows greater insight to the ecological effects. Fishing intensity was calculated annually and based on the area of sea floor being swept (or swept area ratio SAR) by gear type. Calculations are based on SAR’s of gear types per area, per year. Fishing pressure ranks and habitat sensitivity ranks obtained from WGSFD working group (01 WGSFD - Report of the Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data 2015) can be incorporated within a GIS environment to existing ICES fisheries data to provide habitat disturbance maps (fishing pressure maps+ habitat sensitivity maps) ICES. 2015. Report of the Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD), 8–12 June 2015, ICES Headquarters, Copenhagen, Denmark. ICES CM 2015/SSGEPI:18. 150 pp.

Map of seasonal averages of dissolved inorganic Nitrogen (uM) indicator for eutrophication for the past 10 years (2005-2014) in the Atlantic basin. It will be generated using in situ measurements of the different parameteres required to assess the dissolved inorganic Nitrogen indicator and the OSPAR Convention Common procedure methodology (OSPAR 2013, Common Procedure for the Identification of the Eutrophication Status of the OSPAR Maritime Area. Agreement 2013-08. 67 pp).

Rapport final ONF

Map of seasonal averages of dissolved oxygen indicator (mg/l) for eutrophication for the past 10 years (2005-2014) in the Atlantic basin. It will be generated using in situ measurements of the different parameteres required to assess the dissolved oxygen indicator and the OSPAR Convention Common procedure methodology (OSPAR 2013, Common Procedure for the Identification of the Eutrophication Status of the OSPAR Maritime Area. Agreement 2013-08. 67 pp)

Phyto plankton Abundance: Identify the 3 most abundant phytoplankton species in the North Atlantic and calculate a timeseries of their abundance within the basin.

Wind analyses, estimated over the North Atlantic Ocean with a focus on some specific regions, are one the main ARCWIND (http://www.arcwind.eu/) project deliverables. They are estimated from various remotely sensed wind observations in combination with numerical model (WRF), with regular space (0.25deg in latitude and longitude), and time (00h:00, 06h:00, 12h:00, 18h:00 UTC), and based the method described in (Bentamy A., A. Mouche, A. Grouazel, A. Moujane, M. A. Ahmed. (2019): Using sentinel-1A SAR wind retrievals for enhancing scatterometer and radiometer regional wind analyses . International Journal Of Remote Sensing , 40(3), 1120-1147 . https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2018.1524174).