HELCOM Metadata catalogue
HELCOM Metadata catalogue (Helcom)
Continents, countries, sea regions of the world.
Reproductive disorders - malformed embryos of amphipods 2018 (HOLAS 2)
This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on the presence of hazardous substances in the bottom sediments. The rate of embryo malformations indicates reproductive toxicity due to the presence of hazardous substances in the bottom sediments. The threshold value has not been achieved on all stations within each basin indicating that toxic effects of contaminants may be present. The variability of the malformation rate is much greater within a basin than between the Bothnian Sea and the Baltic proper. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 2 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins). Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = Code of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "level_2" = name of subbasin "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "L2" = ID for the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "STATUS" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail”, "Not assessed" or “Not applicable”)
Use constraints: The data and resulting data products (tables, figures and maps) available on the indicator web page can be used freely given that the source is cited. The indicator should be cited as following: HELCOM (2018) Reproductive disorders: malformed embryos of amphipods. HELCOM supplementary indicator report. Online. [Date Viewed], [Web link].
Access constraints: No limitations on public access.
Data host for Swedish amphipod data is IVL but from 2018 SGU (Geological Survey of Sweden) is data host. Project data from BONUS project BEAST are stored in the BONUS haz database hosted by Aarhus University in Denmark. Data are under development to be delivered to ICES. Project data from BONUS project BEAST is also stored in the BONUShaz database hosted by Aarhus University in Denmark (http://gis.au.dk/BALCOFISH/default.aspx). To decrease statistical uncertainty of the analysis, a high number of sampling stations per assessment unit is recommended. Since sample size (i.e., number of gravid females available for the analysis) may have high temporal (year-to-year) and spatial (stations within assessment unit) variability, bootstrapping can be applied to control for the sample size. For each station, a sample size of 50 gravid females and about 1,500 embryos is the recommended sample size within the Swedish National Marine Monitoring Program for evaluating the proportion of malformed embryos in the population. Depending on the area of the assessment unit, distribution of sustained populations of the species in question, and heterogeneity of hydrography, several survey regions should be included, with several stations per region (Assessment Protocol figure 1). The confidence of the indicator in the assessed areas is moderate to high since more than 20 years data for setting the threshold values has been used and the assessment data are collected from multiple stations surveyed on annual basis within each assessment unit. Additional information: http://www.helcom.fi/baltic-sea-trends/indicators/reproductive-disorders-malformed-embryos-of-amphipods Link to metadata of dataset used for indicator calculation: http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/45d879b2-5048-4da2-88b2-c1249adb5b1a
This dataset contains core indicator results developed under the HELCOM Third Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS 3).
Use constraints: Data can be used freely given that the source is cited (following creative commons license CC-BY). The source should be cited as: “HELCOM HOLAS 3 Dataset (2023)"
The dataset was created in order to update the information for the indicator under HOLAS 3. Following a data call submitted to Contracting Parties in April 2021. HELCOM HOLAS III Data call covers all current regular monitoring data reporting as well as supplemental data that is required for the State of the Baltic Sea report. Based on: https://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/f8272956-bb47-4236-8321-ced83c907fc9
This dataset describes fishing intensity for Otter mobile bottom contacting gear in 2016 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.
Use constraints: The data products derived from the advice are downloadable from HELCOM Map and Data service and can be used freely given that the source is cited. The correct data product citation is following: ICES. 2017. Spatial data layers of fishing intensity/pressure per gear type for surface and subsurface abrasion, for the years 2009 and 2016 in the HELCOM area. Available as shapefile datasets at: https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.2860.
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 HELCOM secretariat downloaded the data and did the following processing to the shapefile provided by ICES: - Conversion to ETRS89LAEA coordinate system - Added feature and attribute "Reported" to display unreported areas. After processing, the datasets were published via HELCOM Map and Data service as individual map layers. Dataset corrected in January 2019: Upon request of the data provider outputs have been updated by ICES to better ensure vessel anonymity. Three ICES advice products (associated with sr.2018.14, sr.2017.17, and sr.2017.18) that use VMS and logbook data to describe detailed bottom trawling fishing activity have been updated to better ensure individual vessel anonymity. For these products, the level of gear grouping dis-aggregation at a c-square resolution of (0.05 degrees x 0.05 degrees) over one year were deemed too detailed by the original data provider subsequent to the release of the original advice. For these c-squares (containing 3 vessels or less) the value "-9" has been inserted to indicate that the data value for effort is missing from the c-square, but that the c-square does have a footprint from bottom trawling.
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their metabolites 2018 biota data
This dataset represents the underlying biota data on core indicator Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their metabolites. The core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on concentrations of Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediment and biota. Quantitative threshold value is used to evaluate if core indicators status is Achieve, Fail or Not assessed. As There is no commonly agreed threshold value for measuring metabolites available, this report only considers concentrations of contaminants. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 4 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins and further division into coastal and off-shore areas and division of the coastal areas by WFD water types or water bodies). Attribute information: "region" = name of subbasin "country" = country "station" = Unique code for the station "stationNam" = name for the station "determinan" = determinant parameter (FLU = fluoranthene, BAP = benzo(a)pyrene) "detGroup" = the grouping of determinands used to display the results "species" = species of measurement "_shape" = shape used to map assessment results "colour" = colour used to map assessment results "l3area" = HELCOM assessment unit on scale 3 "l4area" = HELCOM assessment unit on scale 4 "nyall" = total number of years of data "nyfit" = number of years of data used in the assessment "nypos" = number of years with at least one measurement above the limit of detection "lastyear" = most recent year of data "prtrend" = the significance of the change over the most recent 20 years; for the assessment conducted in November 2017 and published in June 2018, this is the period 1996-2016 "rtrend" = annual ‘linear’ change over the most recent 20 years "meanLY" = fitted value in last monitoring year "clLY" = upper one-sided 95% confidence limit on fitted value in last monitoring year "HQS" = Threshold value "HQSdiff" = difference between clLY and HQS "HQSbelow" = whether the mean value in the last monitoring year is significantly below HQS
Use constraints: The data and resulting data products (tables, figures and maps) available on the indicator web page can be used freely given that the source is cited. The indicator should be cited as following: "HELCOM (2018) PAH and metabolites. HELCOM core indicator report. Online. [Date Viewed], [Web link]."
The core indicator evaluation is based on an extraction of data from the HELCOM COMBINE database, hosted by ICES. The assessment protocol is structured in three main parts, 1) changes in log concentrations over time are modelled, 2) check for compliance against threshold value and evidence for temporal change of contaminant concentration per station and 3) a spatial aggregation of status per assessment unit. Additional information: http://www.helcom.fi/baltic-sea-trends/indicators/polyaromatic-hydrocarbons-(pahs)-and-their-metabolites/ Link to metadata of the indicator: http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/a9b1358a-931f-4a7d-94b0-b99b2ec0e8e3
Abundance of waterbirds in the breeding season HOLAS 3
The dataset contains the compilation of the abundance of coastal waterbirds in the breeding season from the data submitted by HELCOM contracting parties to the data call for HOLAS 3. Data was received from DE, DK, EE, FI, PL and SE.
Lineage provided per country: Estonia: Winter waterfowl censuses have taken place in Estonia since 1960. Today, the midwinter waterbird census is part of the international waterbird census (IWC), which has been in operation since 1967. The midwinter waterbird census has become a collaborative project with volunteers, the Estonian Ornithological Society, the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the University of Tartu and the Environmental Agency. Within the framework of the national environmental monitoring program, annual counts are organized in 119 coastal sectors. Method: https://kese.envir.ee/kese/viewProgramNew.action?uid=473581 Program description and annual reports: https://keskkonnaagentuur.ee/media/2041/download Germany: Number of breeding birds in the nature reserves at the Baltic coast of Schleswig-Holstein. Volunteers of different NGOs surveyed breeding waterbirds in the nature reserves at the Baltic coast of Schleswig-Holstein. The data quality differs among the species. Especially for geese, ducks, sawbills and shelducks there are methodological problems in counting “breeding pairs”, and the dataset is therefore inhomogeneous (breeding-pairs or only families were counted). Link to metadata of dataset used for indicator calculation: https://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/333f73d8-d7d6-4410-8ed3-46c5d9c2f06a
Extraction of fish - Cod extraction (landings) (HOLAS 2)
The extraction of cod pressure layer is based on two datasets: 1. http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/7a1389b3-382a-487f-8888-ac45c94c5a97 for years 2011-2016 reported per ICES statistical rectangles (tonnes / ICES rectangle). 2. http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/debeafcd-948b-4455-88ae-7a3d1618f5a8 from ICES recreational fisheries reports for 2011-2016, reported per country (only coastal areas included). Landing values were redistributed within each ICES rectangle by the c-square fishing effort data provided by ICES (all gears, 2011-2013). Tonnes / km² were calculated for both data sets and the results were converted to 1 km x 1 km grid cells. The layers were summed together, log-transformed and normalised to produce the final pressure layer on extraction of cod. Please see "lineage" section below for further details on attributes, data source, data processing, etc.
Use constraints: Data can be used freely given that the source is cited.
Data source: The commercial landings data has been downloaded from EU Joint Research Centre’s data collection framework for fisheries data. Available https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dd/effort/graphs-quarter. Russian data extracted from ICES annual reports. Data from Russia was only available at the scale of ICES sub-divisions and was equally redistributed to all ICES rectangles within that sub-division. The recreational fisheries data is based on the reports of ICES Working Group on Recreational Fisheries Surveys (WGRFS). See also separate fact sheets for both data sets (links above in the abstract). Data processing: Average values (2011-2016) per square kilometre (tonnes/km²) was calculated for both data sets. Commercial landing values were redistributed within each ICES rectangle by the c-square fishing effort data provided to HELCOM by ICES (all gears, 2011-2013). Effort values were missing from Russia and sub basin average values given. The maximum value of tonnes per square kilometre from the original ICES rectangles was used to scale the maximum value for commercial catches. The data sets were summed, log-transformed and then normalised to produce the final pressure layer. Data quality: The commercial landings data is obtained from one source, but there may be gaps or mistakes in the reporting of the landings data. The effort data used to redistribute landing values was only available for the years 2011-2013. This lowers the quality of data to some extent, however the large scale pattern of fishing can be considered to be relatively stable. The recreational fishing data is reported per country, thus it does not take into account variation in landings within country. Attribute information: Final normalised pressure value (0-1) Spatial coverage: Entire Baltic Sea. Spatial resolution: Original data reported in ICES statistical rectangles (commercial landings), ICES c-squares (redistribution) and by country (recreational landings). Here 1 km x 1 km grid.
Abundance of coastal fish key functional groups 2018 data (point)
This dataset represents the underlying data on core indicator Abundance of coastal fish key functional groups. The core indicator evaluates the abundance of selected functional groups of coastal fish in the Baltic Sea. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate if core indicators status is Good, Not good or Not assessed. As a rule, good status is achieved when the abundance of piscivores (i.e. fish that feed on other fish) is above a site-specific threshold value, and the abundance of cyprinids or mesopredators (i.e. mid trophic-level fish) is within an acceptable range for the specific site. The status of functional groups of coastal fish in the Baltic Sea has been evaluated by assessing the status of piscivores and cyprinids/mesopredators during the period 2011-2016. 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 offshore areas). Attribute information: "COUNTRYID" = Country code "ORGANIZATI" = Data provider "AREANAME" = ICES area name "ASSESSMENT" = Name of scale 3 HELCOM assessment unit "IndicatorI" = Indicator name (abbreviation) "Functional" = Functional group "IndicatorV" = Result value for the indicator "MethodId" = Catch method "GearType_N" = Gear type of catch "Season_NAM" = Season
Use constraints: Data can be used freely given that the source (HELCOM) is cited.
The raw data on which this assessment is based, are stored in national databases. Each country has its own routines for quality assurance of the stored data. From 2017, each country calculates indicator values for their monitoring locations from the raw data from fish monitoring. The indicator data and values are then during the first half of the year uploaded to the HELCOM database for coastal fish core indicators, COOL (HELCOM Coastal Fish database) as hosted by the HELCOM secretariat (http://bio.helcom.fi/coastalfish). Indicator data for status assessments are extracted from the COOL database, and the assessment undertaken by the lead country (Sweden) according to the assessment protocol. The level of confidence of the assessment differs across areas and regions as a result of differences in monitoring methodology as well as in some countries poor temporal and spatial coverage of monitoring due to poor financial support for monitoring. This indicator uses two different approaches for evaluating whether Good Environmental Status is achieved. The approach used depends on the availability of data. If there is sufficient data (at least 15 years’ time series), then the baseline approach is used. If the criteria for applying the baseline approach are not fulfilled, then the trend based approach is used.
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their metabolites 2018 sediment data
This dataset represents the underlying sediment data on core indicator Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their metabolites. The core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on concentrations of Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediment and biota. Quantitative threshold value is used to evaluate if core indicators status is Achieve, Fail or Not assessed. As There is no commonly agreed threshold value for measuring metabolites available, this report only considers concentrations of contaminants. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 4 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins and further division into coastal and off-shore areas and division of the coastal areas by WFD water types or water bodies). Attribute information: "region" = name of subbasin "country" = country "station" = Unique code for the station "stationNam" = name for the station "determinan" = determinant parameter (ANT = anthracene) "detGroup" = the grouping of determinands used to display the results "_shape" = shape used to map assessment results "colour" = colour used to map assessment results "l3area" = HELCOM assessment unit on scale 3 "l4area" = HELCOM assessment unit on scale 4 "nyall" = total number of years of data "nyfit" = number of years of data used in the assessment "nypos" = number of years with at least one measurement above the limit of detection "lastyear" = most recent year of data "prtrend" = the significance of the change over the most recent 20 years; for the assessment conducted in November 2017 and published in June 2018, this is the period 1996-2016 "rtrend" = annual ‘linear’ change over the most recent 20 years "meanLY" = fitted value in last monitoring year "clLY" = upper one-sided 95% confidence limit on fitted value in last monitoring year "EQS" = Threshold value "EQSdiff" = difference between clLY and EQS "EQSbelow" = whether the mean value in the last monitoring year is significantly below EQS
Integrated eutrophication status assessment 2018 - Indirect effects
This dataset contains integrated eutrophication status assessment 2011-2016, visualized for indirect effects (C3_ER). The assessment is done on HELCOM Assessment Unit level 4: HELCOM Subbasins with coastal WFD water type or water bodies. The HEAT 3.0 has been applied for open sea assessment units using HELCOM core indicators and for coastal areas using national WFD indicators. For more information about the methodology, see State of the Baltic Sea report and HELCOM Eutrophication assessment manual. Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID": ID of HELCOM Level 4 Assessment unit "Country": Country / opensea "level_2": Name of HELCOM Level 2 Assessment unit "Name": Name of HELCOM Level 4 Assessment unit "Area_km2" : Area of assessment unit "C1_N": Criteria 1, number of indicators used for calculating Eutrophication Ratio (ER) "C1_ER": Criteria 1, ER "C1_SCORE": Criteria 1, Confidence of ER "C2_N": Criteria 2, number of indicators used for calculating ER "C2_ER": Criteria 2, ER "C2_SCORE": Criteria 2, Confidence of ER "C3_N": Criteria 3, number of indicators used for calculating ER "C3_ER": Criteria 3, ER "C3_SCORE": Criteria 3, Confidence of ER "N": Number of criteria used for calculating overall ER "ER": Overall ER "SCORE": Status confidence "STATUS": Status classification (Good (classes 0-0.5 & 0.5-1.0), Not Good (classes 1.0-1.5, 1.5-2.0 & >2.0), Not assessed) "CONFIDENCE": Final confidence rating (< 50% = low, 50-74 % = Moderate, = 75 % = High) "AULEVEL": Level of assessment units
Dataset was created in June 2018 by joining HEAT 3.0 output file with HELCOM Level 4 assessment units. Core indicators that were used to calculate the integrated eutrophication status assessment - Indirect effects (open sea): - http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/9d9904ba-45f9-4392-9655-20e12a247fad - http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/79a6f8a8-05c4-4113-bfd6-ee671bc06a86 National WFD indicators were used for coastal assessment units. Additional information in "State of the Baltic Sea report" and on the http://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/
Summary Estimated observations of the biotope AB.A1G3 and AB.M1G3 were collected from the Baltic Sea area by expert judgements for HELCOM Red List of biotopes, habitats and biotope complexes. Description Baltic aphotic rock and boulders or mixed hard and soft substrates dominated by stone corals (Scleractinida)The HELCOM Red List of Baltic Sea underwater biotopes, habitats and biotope complexes (2013) is an updated and improved version of the Red List assessment of marine and coastal biotopes and biotope complexes published in 1998. The classification of the report follows the proposed International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria and assessment principals but with some modifications for the Baltic Sea.Altogether, the HELCOM Underwater Biotope and habitat classification (HELCOM HUB) includes 209 biotopes of which 59 were red-listed. Many of the red-listed biotopes are located in deep areas of the Baltic Sea due to oxygen-free nature as well as in the southwestern Baltic Sea due to the salinity restricted distribution of species in certain biotope. The HELCOM assessment relies heavily on expert judgment and inference, and the questionnaire data represents the estimated presence-absence data not in-situ measured data. This must be taken in account when observing the map presentation. The biotopes are shown on the map using the EEA 100 km grid. This dataset displays estimated presence of AB.A1G3and AB.M1G3according to HELCOM RED LIST assessment experts:The biotopes are restricted to the north Kattegat, where environmental conditions are nearly fully marine. The distribution map indicates the area in the 100 x 100 km grid where biotopes are known to occur. OCEANA (2013) encountered Carophylla smithii along the Swedish coast.(Data (expert judgements) collected in HELCOM RED LIST project, released in May 2013)
Use constraints: Data can be used freely given that the source (HELCOM, 2013) is cited.
ETRS-LAEA5210 is the recommended projection for reference grids by the European Environment Agency. Based on proposal at the "1st European Workshop on Reference Grids", this grid is the recommened grid for EEA grids. This reference grid is based on ETRS89 Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area projection with parameters: latitude of origin 52° N, longitude of origin 10° E, false northing 3 210 000.0 m, false easting 4 321 000.0 m. Origin of grid is calculated from 0 m N 0 m E of projection. Parameters for grid calculation: start X-axis from origin: 0 m, start Y-Axis from origin: 700000 m, number of rows: 67 and number of columns: 84.
Download Breeding success of waterbirds HOLAS 3
View Breeding success of waterbirds HOLAS 3
Download Abundance of waterbirds in the breeding season - total results HOLAS 3
View Abundance of waterbirds in the breeding season - total results HOLAS 3