This core indicator evaluates the eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea area based on oxygen debt. The oxygen debt value is calculated based on data reported to HELCOM COMBINE database using script developed in TARGREV project and further developed within EUTRO OPER project. The R-script for calculating oxygen is accessible from https://github.com/ices-tools-prod/HEAT/tree/master/scripts/OxygenDebt This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 4 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 open sea sub-basins and division of coastal areas to WFD water types or water bodies), but applicable only to certain open sea assessment units. Coastal areas were excluded from the shapefile. Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = Code of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "Country" = country/ opensea "level_2" = name of subbasin "level_4" = Name of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit “Name_1” = "Name" = Name of the open sea area “Season” = Season of the indicator “Period” = Assessment unit period (20112016 = 2011 – 2016) "Indicator value (ES)" = Indicator value calculated for the assessment unit "Standard deviation (STD)" = Standard deviation of data used for calculating ES "Number of samples " = Number of samples in assessment unit "Thershold value (ET)" = Commonly agreed thershold value "Ratio between ES and ET (ER)" = Ratio between ES and ET (in case of indicator with positive response to eutrophication) "ES_SCORE” = Confidence based on the data used for calculating ES "ET_SCORE” = Confidence of target-setting procedure "I_SCORE” = Confidence (%) = average of ES-Score and ET-Score "Indicator Weight" = Indicator Weight in integrated eutrophication assessment “Status” = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail”, “Not assessed” or "Not applicable") “Confidence” = Confidence of result based on I-SCORE (“High”, “Moderate” or “Low”) "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator

This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on concentrations of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) in Baltic Sea fish and in a few assessment units using the secondary matrix seawater. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate if core indicators status is "Achieve", "Fail" or "Not assessed". Good status is achieved when the concentrations of PFOS are below the threshold value. 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: "OBJECTID" = Object identification "HELCOM_ID" = Code of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "Descriptio" = Description of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "Contamination ratio in biota" = Contamination ratio in biota for this substance "Status in biota" = Status of the indicator in biota (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Contamination ratio in water" = Contamination ratio in water for this substance "Status in water" = Status of the indicator in water(“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Overall status" = Overall Status of the indicator according to one-out-all-out (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”)

This dataset represents the Integrated biodiversity status assessment for benthic habitats using the BEAT tool. Status is shown in five categories based on the integrated assessment scores obtained in the tool. Biological Quality Ratios (BQR) above 0.6 correspond to good status. The assessment in open sea areas was based on the core indicators ‘State of the soft-bottom macrofauna community’ and ‘Oxygen debt’. Coastal areas were assessed by national indicators, and may hence not be directly comparable with each other. This dataset displays the result of the integrated biodiverity status in HELCOM Assessment unit 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: "BQR" = Biological Quality Ratio "Confidence" = Confidence of the assessment "HELCOM_ID" = id of the HELCOM assessment unit "country" = name of the country / opensea "level_2" = HELCOM sub-basins (name of the scale 2 assessment unit) "Name" = Name of the coastal assessment unit on scale 4 "AULEVEL" = scale of the assessment units "type_descr" = Name of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "SAUID" = ID number for the spatial assessment unit "EcosystemC" = Ecosystem component assessed "Confiden_1" = Confidence of the assessment (0-1, higher values mean higher confidence) "Total_numb" = Number of indicators used in assessment "Area_km2" = Area of assessment unit (km2) "Confiden_1" = Confidence level of the assessment (scores < 0.5 = low, 0.5 - 0.75 = intermediate, > 0.75 = high) "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))

This dataset displays coastal fish monitoring points as defined by HELCOM FISH-PRO group and stored in HELCOM Coastal fish database (COOL). Monitoring of coastal fish contains two geometry types: Monitoring points for pointwise locations, where CPUE is reported per point and monitoring areas where CPUE is reported per monitoring area (ICES subdivision or square).

This dataset contains core indicator results developed under the HELCOM Third Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS 3).

This dataset contains all PCB stations by sub-basin in the Baltic Sea as reported to the HELCOM MORE project.

This dataset represents the underlying biota data on core indicator Radioactive substances: Cesium-137 for herring and for flatfish. The core indicator evaluates the state of the environment using the concentration of the radioactive isotope cesium-137 (137Cs) in herring, in flatfish and in surface waters. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate if core indicators status is Achieve, Fail or Not assessed. Good status is achieved when concentrations reach levels measured before the Chernobyl accident in 1986 when the biota of the Baltic Sea received the most significant contribution to their level of artificial radionuclides, predominantly in the form of 137Cs. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 2 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins). Attribute information: "KEY" = MORS Database unique sample identifier "Year" = Year of observation "STATION" = Name of sampling station "NUCLIDE" = Nuclide measured "BASINNAME" = Name of subbasin "TISSUE_DES" = Part of fish used for the measurement "RUBIN" = Species of measurement (CLUP HAR = herring, PLAT FLE = flatfish) "VALUE_Bq_k" = Value of measurement in Bq/kg "ERROR_" = error % of the measurement

This dataset describes fishing effort (hours/c-square) for midwater trawl in 2012 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). HELCOM requires spatially explicit information on fishing activity affecting the Baltic Sea marine ecosystem for policy purposes. In order to obtain this information a joint ICES/HELCOM/OSPAR data call was issued to relevant authorities of contracting parties to deliver information on fishing activity based on VMS/Log book data. The raw data was submitted to ICES and processed to advice data products by ICES Working Group for Spatial Fisheries (WGSFD) as requested by HELCOM. Processing of the raw data requires specific resources, knowledge and guarantee of anonymity for specific vessels, thus the process was done by ICES WGSFD following Conditions for VMS data use. In 2015 ICES collated Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and logbook data received; data from Russia were not received. ICES provided to HELCOM advice as fishing abrasion pressure maps as well as fishing effort maps. HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the data: - 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 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 Year: Year of fishing activity quarter: Quarter of the year, if applicable geargroup: Fishing gear group (Effort maps) SubsurfSAR: Subsurface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) SurfSAR: Surface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) Fishing_ho: Total fishing effort in hours within c-square (Effort maps) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data.

This dataset describes fishing intensity for SDN DMF mobile bottom contacting gear in 2011 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 contains core indicator results developed under the HELCOM Third Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS 3).