This dataset describes fishing intensity for OT DMF mobile bottom contacting gear in 2010 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). ICES secretariat collected during 2017 relevant VMS and logbook data for 2009-2016 to produce, as a technical service to HELCOM, updated spatial data layers on fishing intensity/pressure. Improved data quality control checks were implemented. Submitted data across the HELCOM area have improved in quality compared to previous data 2009-2013 published in 2015. Standardized methods were used to produce the requested data layers. The code used to create the data products is available here: https://github.com/ices-eg/wg_WGSFD For further technical information on the advice request, see http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2017/Special_requests/helcom.2017.18.pdf HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the shapefile provided by ICES: - Conversion to ETRS89LAEA coordinate system - Added feature and attribute "Reported" to display unreported areas. Dataset attribute information: c-square: Unique reference of the c-square polygon Year: Year of fishing activity mid_lat: latitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees mid_lon: longitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees SurfaceSAR: Surface area ratio (Swept area, < 2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) Subsurface: Subsurface area ratio (Swept area, subsurface =>2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) totweight: Total Weight (kg) totvalue: Total value (Euros) Kw Fishing Hours: (Kw*h) Fishing hours: (h) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data). Please note that this dataset was updated (v2) in January 2019, see further details below in the lineage section.

This dataset was collected by HELCOM Secretariat during the HELCOM MORE project and represents monitoring stations in the Baltic Sea. This dataset contains all nutrient stations in the Baltic Sea as reported to the HELCOM MORE project.

Esker islands (according to Habitats Directive Annex I) are glaciofluvial islands consisting mainly of relatively well sorted sand, gravel or less commonly of till. Also their underwater parts are included in the habitat. The distribution map is based on data submission by HELCOM contracting parties. Only Sweden and Finland reported occurrences of esker islands. Only underwater parts are included in the datasets. The data is based on modelling and GIS analysis. Data coverage, accuracy and the methods in obtaining the data vary between countries.

A vector grid in 2 x 2 km resolution showing the environmental sensitivity and the underlying themes that have caused the final vulnerability in fall for the Baltic Sea area. This dataset has been produced by COWI (http://www.cowi.dk) for the BRISK project (Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea, http://www.brisk.helcom.fi/). Sensitivity map is based on datasets provided by the BRISK Project Partner organisations. The detailed documentation of what partner provided what data is given in the Annex of the document: 70618-3.1.2.2 Data Collection Report. Field explanations: RS_SR: Rocky shores and stony reefs, Estuaries; Estuaries, Lagoons: Coastal lagoons, Bays: Shallow inlets and bays, Sandbanks: Underwater Sand banks, Beach: Sandy beaches, Seagrass: Sea grass, meadows, Spawning: Spawning area for fish with demersal eggs, Nursery: Nursery areas for fish on shallow water, Off_spawn: Offshore spawning areas for fish with pelagic eggs, Win_Birds: Wintering areas for sea and shore birds, Staging: Staging areas for migrating sea and shore birds, Breeding: Breeding areas for sea and shore birds, Moulting: Moulting areas for sea birds, Mammals: Marine Mammals, Protected: Protected areas, Aquacult:: Fish farms and aqua cultures, Sum: Weighted vulnerability index, Index: Not used Weighted vulnerability index is used to depict vulnerability for the Baltic Sea. Certain parameters have been used to map the environmental sensitivity to oil and each has been weighted for four seasons based on expert judgment. Two alternative sensitivity weighting matrices were also prepared in order to evaluate and validate the results. The sensitivity maps has been combined with the data on oil impact to model environmental damage, and to quantitatively compare the relative efect of the proposed new measures to reduce the risk, impact and damage of oil. Underlaying paramenters used in the vulnerability calculation can be obtained from HELCOM map service under Shipping\Risk Assessment (BRISK)\Environmental parameters -folder.

This dataset describes fishing intensity for SDN DMF mobile bottom contacting gear in 2009 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). ICES secretariat collected during 2017 relevant VMS and logbook data for 2009-2016 to produce, as a technical service to HELCOM, updated spatial data layers on fishing intensity/pressure. Improved data quality control checks were implemented. Submitted data across the HELCOM area have improved in quality compared to previous data 2009-2013 published in 2015. Standardized methods were used to produce the requested data layers. The code used to create the data products is available here: https://github.com/ices-eg/wg_WGSFD For further technical information on the advice request, see http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2017/Special_requests/helcom.2017.18.pdf HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the shapefile provided by ICES: - Conversion to ETRS89LAEA coordinate system - Added feature and attribute "Reported" to display unreported areas. Dataset attribute information: c-square: Unique reference of the c-square polygon Year: Year of fishing activity mid_lat: latitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees mid_lon: longitude coordinate of the centroid of c-square inWGS84 decimal degrees SurfaceSAR: Surface area ratio (Swept area, < 2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) Subsurface: Subsurface area ratio (Swept area, subsurface =>2 cm penetration depth of the gear components) totweight: Total Weight (kg) totvalue: Total value (Euros) Kw Fishing Hours: (Kw*h) Fishing hours: (h) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data). Please note that this dataset was updated (v2) in January 2019, see further details below in the lineage section.

A vector grid in 2 x 2 km resolution showing the environmental sensitivity and the underlying themes that have caused the final vulnerability in summer for the Baltic Sea area. This dataset has been produced by COWI (http://www.cowi.dk) for the BRISK project (Sub-regional risk of spill of oil and hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea, http://www.brisk.helcom.fi/). Sensitivity map is based on datasets provided by the BRISK Project Partner organisations. The detailed documentation of what partner provided what data is given in the Annex of the document: 70618-3.1.2.2 Data Collection Report. Field explanations: RS_SR: Rocky shores and stony reefs, Estuaries; Estuaries, Lagoons: Coastal lagoons, Bays: Shallow inlets and bays, Sandbanks: Underwater Sand banks, Beach: Sandy beaches, Seagrass: Sea grass, meadows, Spawning: Spawning area for fish with demersal eggs, Nursery: Nursery areas for fish on shallow water, Off_spawn: Offshore spawning areas for fish with pelagic eggs, Win_Birds: Wintering areas for sea and shore birds, Staging: Staging areas for migrating sea and shore birds, Breeding: Breeding areas for sea and shore birds, Moulting: Moulting areas for sea birds, Mammals: Marine Mammals, Protected: Protected areas, Aquacult:: Fish farms and aqua cultures, Sum: Weighted vulnerability index, Index: Not used Weighted vulnerability index is used to depict vulnerability for the Baltic Sea. Certain parameters have been used to map the environmental sensitivity to oil and each has been weighted for four seasons based on expert judgment. Two alternative sensitivity weighting matrices were also prepared in order to evaluate and validate the results. The sensitivity maps has been combined with the data on oil impact to model environmental damage, and to quantitatively compare the relative efect of the proposed new measures to reduce the risk, impact and damage of oil. Underlaying paramenters used in the vulnerability calculation can be obtained from HELCOM map service under Shipping\Risk Assessment (BRISK)\Environmental parameters -folder.

The indicator evaluates the status of the soft-bottom macrofauna community above the permanent halocline in the open sea areas of the Baltic Sea. Quantitative thresholds are used to classify the core indicators status in Achieve, Fail or Not assessed. The current assessment result shows good status in most of the evaluated assessment units. The indicator is not used in coastal areas which are assessed by national methods or in areas below the halocline which are assessed using the Oxygen debt indicator. The indicator takes into account the relative proportion of sensitive and tolerant species, as well as species richness and abundance. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 3 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins and further division into coastal and off-shore areas), so that the indicator is only applicable in the open sea assessment units. "HELCOM_ID" = HELCOM assessment unit scale 3 ID "country" = Country "level_2" = Name of scale 2 HELCOM assessment unit "level_3" = Name of scale 3 HELCOM assessment unit "area_km2" = "Area (km2)" = Area of HELCOM assessment unit "coastal" = Code of scale 3 HELCOM assessment unit "open_sea" = Name of the open sea area "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "Threshold value" = Indicator threshold value "Indicator value" = Value of the indicator "Status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "ConfA" = confidence of classification "ConfT" = Temporal confidence of classification "ConfS" = Spatial confidence of classification "ConfM" = Methodological confidence of classification

This dataset was collected by HELCOM Secretariat during the HELCOM MORE project and represents monitoring stations in the Baltic Sea. This dataset contains all nutrient stations in the Baltic Sea as reported to the HELCOM MORE project.

This dataset represents the Integrated biodiversity status assessment for fish used in State of the Baltic Sea – Second HELCOM holistic assessment 2011-2016. Status is shown in five categories based on the integrated assessment scores obtained in the BEAT tool. Biological Quality ratios (BQR) above 0.6 correspond to good status. The assessment is based on core indicators of coastal fish in coastal areas, and on internationally assessed commercial fish in the open sea. The open sea assessment includes fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass as an average over 2011–2016. Open sea results are given by ICES subdivisions, and are not shown where they overlap with coastal areas. Coastal areas results are given in HELCOM Assessment unit Scale 3 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins and further division into coastal and off-shore areas) Attribute information: "COUNTRY" = name of the country / opensea "Name" = Name of the coastal assessment unit, scale 3 (empty for ICES open sea units) "HELCOM_ID" = ID of the HELCOM scale 3 assessment unit (empty for ICES open sea units) "EcoystemC" = Ecosystem component analyzed "BQR" = Biological Quality Ratio "Conf" = Confidence (0-1, higher values mean higher confidence) "Total_indi" = Number of HELCOM core indicators included (coastal assessment units) "F__of_area = % of area assessed "D1C2" = MSFD descriptor 1 criteria 2 "Number_of" = Number of open sea species included "Confidence" = Confidence of the assessment "BQR_Demer" = Demersal Biological Quality Ratio "F_spec_Deme" = Number of demersal species included "Conf_Demer" = Confidence for demersal species "BQR_Pelagi" = Pelagic Biological Quality Ratio "F_specPela" = Number of pelagic species included "Conf_Pelag" = Confidence for pelagic species "ICES_SD" = ICES Subdivision number "STATUS" = Integrated status category (0-0.2 = not good (lowest score), 0.2-0.4 = not good (lower score), 0.4-0.6 = not good (low score), 0.6-0.8 = good (high score, 0.8-1.0 = good (highest score))

The dataset contains information on commercial fishery with unspecified gears in Baltic Sea in 2007 (Lithuanian data from 2008). Total catches/landings are given per ICES rectangle in tons. The dataset contains information on commercial fishery with unspecified gears in Baltic Sea in 2007 (Lithuanian data from 2008). Total catches/landings are given per ICES rectangle in tons. Unspecified gears (gear category 0) are gears that the countries have not defined more specifically. The total catches/landings with this type of gears is 150 tons. The catches/landings per ICES rectangle are also given per species. Data was requested from HELCOM contracting parties through HELCOM HOLAS project. Landings/ catches data from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is based on national data, while Russian data is based on the ICES report "Report of the Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS)" (2008). Commercial fishery data was reported by the following persons/authorities to HELCOM Secretariat: Germany:Dr. Christopher Zimmermann (Institut für Ostseefischerei (OSF), Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei) Lithuania: Open sea: Irina Jakovleva (Fisheries Reguliation Division, Baltic Sea Fisheries Department, Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture); coastal: Rimantas Repecka (Head of Laboratory of Marine Ecology, Institute of Ecology of Vilnius University) Sweden: Jarl Engquist (Avdelningen för fiskerikontroll, Swedish Board of Fisheries) Latvia: Marina Fettere (Fishery and Information section, Latvian Fish Resources Agency) Finland: Pirkko Söderkultalahti (Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute) Estonia: Ministry of Agriculture Denmark: Troels Pade (The Danish Directorate of Fisheries, Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries) Russia: no contact person, data from ICES reports Poland: Malgorzata Marciniewicz-Mykieta (Departament Monitoringu i Informacji o Srodowisku, Glówny Inspektorat Ochrony Srodowiska) Abbreviation of species ABK=White Bream; ACC=Ruffe; ACH=Charr; ALR=Bleak; ANE=European anchovy; ANF=Anglerfishes; BLL=Brill; CAT=Rockfishes; CGO=Goldfish; COD=Cod; CRA=Marine crabs; CRE=Edible Crab; CSH=Common shrimp; DAB=Dab; DGS=Sourdog/Spint Dogfish; ELE=Eel; ELP=Eelpout; FAS=Asp; FBM=Bream; FBR=Freshwater breams; FBU=Burbot; FCC=Crucian carp; FCP=Common carp; FGR=Grayling; FID=Orfe (=Ide); FIE=Common dace; FLE=Flounder; FLX=Flatfishes; FPE=Perch; FPI=Pike; FPP=Zander (Pikeperch); FRD=Rudd; FRF=Freshwater fishes; FRO=Roach; FRU=Ruffe; FSB=Silver bream; FTE=Tench; FVE=Vendace (Cisco); FVI=Freshwater Vimba; GAR=Garfish; GPA=Gobies; GTA=Three-Spined Stickleback; GUG=Grey Gurnard; HAD=Haddock; HAL=Halibut; HER=Herring; HKE=Hake; HOM=Horse Mackarel; JAX=Jack and horse mackerels; LAR=River lamprey; LAU=Sea lamprey; LBE=European Lobster; LEM=Lemon Sole; LIN=Ling; LUM=Lumpfish; MAC=Mackerel; MLR=Thicklip Grey Mullet; MON=Monkfish; MQS=Four Spined Sculpin; MTL=Thick-lipped Mullet; MUL=Grey mullets; MUS=Blue mussel; MUX=Surmullets (= Red mullets); MZZ=Marine fishes; NBU=Round Goby NEP=Norway lobster; NOP=Norway pout; OTH=Other sp; PLA=Long-rough dab; PLE=Plaice; PLN=European Whitefish; POK=Saithe; POL=Pollack; PPZ=Common Prawn; PRA=Northern Pink Shrimp; SAL=Salmon; SAN=Sandeels; SKA=Skates, rays; SKB=Sticklebacks; SME=Smelt; SOL=Sole; SPR=Sprat; SQU=Squids; SRA=Atlantic searobins; SRE=Rudd; TAS=Twaite Shad; TGQ=Fourhorn Sculpin; TRB=Rainbow Trout; TRO=Trouts; TRR=Rainbow Trout; TRS=SeaTrout; TSD=Twaite Shad; TUR=Turbot; UNK=Unknown Catches; USK=Tusk; WEG=Greater Weever; WHB=Blue Whiting; WHF=Whitefish, Houting, Powan; WHG=Whiting; WIT=Witch; VIV=Vimba bream.