Data set represents the HELCOM 20x20 km Baltic Sea grid. The grid is based on the European Environment agency (EEA) grid system, and its compatible with other grid sizes. Each grid cell have an unique identifier, that is based on the EEA coding system, where the identifier consists of the cell size and cell coordinates. The grid covers the HELCOM marine area and uses the LAEA projection. HELCOM is making the grid available to offer a standardized and equal area grid system for the Baltic Sea that can be used in different assessments and that is alligned with different grid sizes, such as the "HELCOM 1x1km Baltic Sea grid" or any other EEA based grid system in Europe. The grid is available in two versions: 1. The basic version (HELCOM 20x20km Baltic Sea grid) with full grid cells. This is the version that is visualized in MADS and avaliable for download below as the first link and also as the download link in MADS 2. The second version (HELCOM 20x20km Baltic Sea grid without land areas) where all land areas are removed within the grid cells. This version is not visualized in MADS, but is available for download below. Further details on the 2 different grids can be found in the lineage section below. Attribute information: Unique_ID: Unique ID of the grid cell, based on the EEA coding system Area_km2: Area of the grid cell (for the second version the area is without land areas)

Data set represents the HELCOM 10x10 km Baltic Sea grid. The grid is based on the European Environment agency (EEA) grid system, and its compatible with other grid sizes. Each grid cell have an unique identifier, that is based on the EEA coding system, where the identifier consists of the cell size and cell coordinates. The grid covers the HELCOM marine area and uses the LAEA projection. HELCOM is making the grid available to offer a standardized and equal area grid system for the Baltic Sea that can be used in different assessments and that is alligned with different grid sizes, such as the "HELCOM 1x1km Baltic Sea grid" or any other EEA based grid system in Europe. The grid is available in two versions: 1. The basic version (HELCOM 10x10km Baltic Sea grid) with full grid cells. This is the version that is visualized in MADS and avaliable for download below as the first link and also as the download link in MADS 2. The second version (HELCOM 10x10km Baltic Sea grid without land areas) where all land areas are removed within the grid cells. This version is not visualized in MADS, but is available for download below. Further details on the 2 different grids can be found in the lineage section below. Attribute information: Unique_ID: Unique ID of the grid cell, based on the EEA coding system Area_km2: Area of the grid cell (for the second version the area is without land areas)

This dataset represents the density of all IMO registered ships operating in the Baltic Sea. Shipping density is defined as the number of ships crossing a 1 x 1km grid cell. Density maps are annual and created for the time period 2006-2024 per all ship types and by IMO ship category. HELCOM Map and Data service contains maps of 2020-2024 shipping density per ship type and total annual shipping density from 2006-2024. Downloadable resource zip file contains all maps from 2006-2024 including both ship type specific densities and total densities. Raw AIS data used for creating the density maps is based on HELCOM AIS (Automatic Identification System) data. The HELCOM AIS network hosts all the AIS signals received by the Baltic Sea States since 2005. The data was processed to produce density maps and traffic statistics. All scripts are available in GitHub: https://github.com/helcomsecretariat. The production of these maps have been carried out by HELCOM Secretariat for repeated times and supported by several project. During 2016-2017, the work was supported through the HELCOM project on the assessment of maritime activities in the Baltic Sea. The underlying AIS data processing work has been co-financed by EU projects Baltic Scope (2015-2017 EASME/EMFF/2014/1.2.1.5) and Baltic Lines (2016-2019, Interreg Baltic Sea Region). In addition, the Ministry of the Environment of Finland supported the work with a special contribution in view of the use of the results in the HOLAS II process.