Species distribution models (Maxent) predicting the distribution of two Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME): the reef-forming Scleractinian coral Desmophyllum pertusum and the aggregations forming Hexactinellid sponge Pheronema carpenteri. Both of these species are VME indicator taxa and form habitat that enhance deep-sea diversity (Ross and Howell, 2013). Maps of the likely distribution of the habitat formed by these two species will enable efficient Marine Spatial planning to facilitate their conservation. This work was performed at the University of Plymouth in 2021. A GIS layer is provided for each species.

The raster dataset represents fishing intensity (kilowatt per fishing hour) by pelagic towed gears in the European seas. The dataset has been derived from Automatic Identification System (AIS) based pelagic fishing intensity data received from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre - Independent experts of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (JRC STECF), as well as from Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and logbook based pelagic fishing effort data from HELCOM Commission. The temporal extent varies between the data sources (between 2013 and 2015). The dataset has been transformed to a logarithmic scale (ln1). This dataset has been prepared for the calculation of the combined effect index, produced for the ETC/ICM Report 4/2019 "Multiple pressures and their combined effects in Europe's seas" available on: https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-icm/etc-icm-report-4-2019-multiple-pressures-and-their-combined-effects-in-europes-seas-1.

Classification of the Atlantic Ocean seabed into broad-scale benthic habitats employing a hierarchical top-down clustering approach aimed at informing Marine Spatial Planning. This work was performed at the University of Plymouth in 2021 with data provided by a wide group of partners representing the nations surrounding the Atlantic Ocean. It classifies continuous environmental data into discrete classes that can be compared to observed biogeographical patterns at various scales. It has 3 levels of classification. For ease of use, a layer is provided for each level. Level 1 has 4 classes. Level 2 has 15 classes nested within level 1. Layers indices are 2 digits (1[level1 class index]1[level 2 class index]). Level 3 has 157 classes nested within level 2 and class names have 4 digits (1digit[level1 class index]1[level 2 class index]2[level 3 class index]). Note that the classification was performed for the whole world and thus it has more classes than in the presented layer.

Maps of potential biomass catches (tons/year) per surface unit (0.25º latitude x 0.25º longitude) based on 3-D probability of occurrence for the main commercial fish species of the Atlantic. To map potential catches, first, mean catches (tons/year) were calculated according to Watson (2020) Global fisheries landings (V4) database for period 2010-2015 and then the total mean catch value for each species was redistributed according to the occurrence probability value that was modelled in 3-D using Shape-Constrained Generalized Additive Models (SC-GAMs). Potential catch value of each cell integrates the catches along the water column (from surface until 1000 m depth). See Valle et al. (2024) in Ecological Modelling 490:110632 ( https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110632 ), for more details.

This raster dataset represents the physical loss of the seabed in the European seas. Physical habitat loss is an extreme pressure on the marine ecosystem which was defined to include all impacts on the seabed which take more than 12 years to recover, a time span influencing even long living marine mammals and seabirds. Habitat is lost if its substrate, morphology or topography is permanently altered. The dataset is an aggregation of several different human activities that cause physical loss in the seabed: dredging and dumping of dredged material, oil and gas rigs, offshore installations, ports, sand and gravel extraction and windfarms. The resulting dataset is a raster (10km grid cell) derived from EMODnet, MED-IAMER and 4C Offshore datasets and with temporal reference from 2012 to 2017. Higher values mean more loss causing activity in the area. Due to its resolution, loss causing activity in a cell does not usually mean that all the seabed habitat in the area is lost. This dataset has been prepared for the calculation of the combined effect index, produced for the ETC/ICM Report 4/2019 "Multiple pressures and their combined effects in Europe's seas" available on: https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-icm/etc-icm-report-4-2019-multiple-pressures-and-their-combined-effects-in-europes-seas-1.

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.

This raster dataset represents the probability of occurrence of whales in the Europe Seas, where the species included are: Blue whale, Sei whale, Humpback whale, Sperm whale, Fin whale and Northern right whale. The northern right whale model only describes the range of the western population of this species, since the eastern population is probably almost extinct. Thus, the northern right whale model only partly overlaps with the EEA area on interest. This dataset is based on AquaMaps distribution maps (version 10/2019). The dataset has been prepared in the context of the development of the first European Maritime Transport Environmental Report (EMSA-EEA report, 2021: https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/maritime-transport).