This dataset represents the integrated assessment of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea in 2016-2021. This dataset displays the result of the assessment in HELCOM Assessment unit Level 3 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins and further division into coastal and offshore areas).

This dataset contains data used for the HELCOM Core indicator State of the soft-bottom macrofauna community 2018. Attribute information: "SampleID" = Sample ID "Station" = Station name "Year" = Year of sampling event "Latitude" = Latitude coordinate (WGS84 decimal degrees) "Longitude" = Longitude coordinate (WGS84 decimal degrees) "Depth" = Depth of station (m) "Sentivit" = Sensitivity subset "Sampling_a" = Sampling area (cm2) "Sieve_mesh" = Sive mesh size (microm) "BQI" = Benthic quality index value "Data sourc" = Source of data (national monitoring / other) "Data_origi" = Data providing organization "Country" = Data providing country "Assessment" = HELCOM Level 2 assessment unit where the station resides

This core indicator evaluates the status of abundance of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea region, here visualized for benthic feeders. The wintering waterbirds are considered to reflect good status when at least 75% of the considered species deviate less than 30% downwards (species laying more than one egg per year) or 20% downwards (species laying one egg per year) from the baseline condition during the reference period 1991-2000. 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: "HELCOM_ID" = ID of the HELCOM scale 3 assessment unit "country" = Country "Group area" = Name of the group area "level_2" = Name of scale 2 HELCOM assessment unit (subbasin) "level_3" = Name of scale 3 HELCOM assessment unit "Area (km2)" = Area of HELCOM assessment unit "coastal" = HELCOM ID of the coastal areas "open_sea" = Open sea assessment unit name "Abundance" = Assessed parameter "Threshold" = Threshold value "Wading feeders" = Results for the category "Wading feeders status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Surface feeders" = Results for the category "Surface feeders status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Pelagic feeders" = Results for the category "Pelagic feeders status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Benthic feeders" = Results for the category "Benthic feeders status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Grazing feeders" = Results for the category "Grazing feeders status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator

This core indicator evaluates the status of the Baltic Sea based on the number- and the size of illegal oil spills detected in annual aerial surveillance. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate if core indicators status is "Achieve", "Fail" or "Not assessed". Good status is achieved when the amount of oil spills are below the threshold value. 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 2 assessment unit "level_2" = name of he HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit (subbasin) "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "STATUS" = Status of the indicator (“Target achieved”, “Target exceeded” or “Not assessed”)

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 Diatom/Dinoflagellate index (Dia/Dino index) reflects the dominance patterns in the phytoplankton spring bloom. It has high relevance for the pathway of the food into the pelagic or benthic food web. In principle, the indicator is applicable in all coastal and open sea assessment units, except lagoons, large river plumes and the Bothnian Bay; however, thresholds for the good status are defined only for the southern and central Baltic Sea up to now. The indicator is not yet agreed as a HELCOM core indicator but is tested in the HOLAS II project for the Eastern Gotland Basin. In this assessment unit, the average Dia/Dino index of the years 2011-2016 was just below the threshold value of 0.5 for good status. The confidence of the indicator evaluation depends on the data frequency. The data have to represent the diatom and dinoflagellate blooms adequately. If the diatom bloom is not sufficiently represented in the data, an alternative Dia/Dino index may be applied, based on silicate consumption data. This indicator is robust; its calculation is simple and traceable. The phytoplankton monitoring is operational in the whole Baltic Sea using methods prescribed in the COMBINE manual. Currently, a high quality of the data is assured by the experts of the HELCOM Phytoplankton Expert Group (PEG). The basic data are phytoplankton biomass data, determined as explained in the HELCOM COMBINE manual, originating from the depth of 0 – 10 m. Also silicate data were used that were taken parallel to the phytoplankton sampling. Diatom-dinoflagellate ratio 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" = ID of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM assessment unit "Name" = Name of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "Status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "Threshold value" = Threshold value of indicator "Unit" = Unit of the indicator "Indicator value" = Result of the indicator "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator

This pre-core indicator evaluates the eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea area based on cyanobacterial bloom index. The index is calculated using two types of data: biomass data and Earth observation data. More detailed description on methodology can be found at HELCOM pre-core indicator report and http://www.helcom.fi/Documents/Eutrophication%20assessment%20manual.pdf 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. Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = Code of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "Country" = country/ opensea "level_2" = name of the subbasin "level_4" = Name of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit “Season” = Season of the indicator (Summer = June-September) “Period” = Assessment unit period start and end year (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 (not applicable for cyanobacterial bloom index) "Threshold value (ET)" = Commonly agreed threshold 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") "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "FID_12" = "Indicator" = Indicator name “CONFIDENCE” = Confidence of result based on I-SCORE (“High”, “Moderate”, “Low” or "Not assessed")

This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on concentrations of radioactive substances (Cs-137) in seawater and biota. 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. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 2 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins) for flatfish. Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = Code of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "level_2" = Name of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit (subbasin) "Indicator" = Name of HELCOM Core indicator "Type" = Type of indicator "Threshold value" = Threshold value for specific assessment unit "Indicator value" = Value of indicator calculated for specific assessment unit "Status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”)

This dataset contains integrated eutrophication status assessment 2011-2016. The assessment is done using the HEAT 3.0 by combining assessment unit-specific results from various indicators by three MSFD criteria groups (C1: Nutrient levels, C2: Direct effect, C3: Indirect effect). 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. In case of Denmark, the WFD results were used directly, displaying different classification as obtained from HEAT. For more information about the methodology, see the State of the Baltic Sea report and HELCOM Eutrophication assessment manual. Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID": ID of the HELCOM Level 4 Assessment unit "Country": Country/ Opensea "level_2": Name of the HELCOM Level 2 Assessment unit "Name": Name of the HELCOM Level 4 Assessment unit "Area_km2": Area of assessment unit "C1_N": MSFD criteria 1, number of indicators used for calculating Eutrophication Ratio (ER) "C1_ER": MSFD Criteria 1, ER "C1_SCORE": MSFD Criteria 1, Confidence of ER "C2_N": MSFD Criteria 2, number of indicators used for calculating ER "C2_ER": MSFD Criteria 2, ER "C2_SCORE": MSFD Criteria 2, Confidence of ER "C3_N": MSFD Criteria 3, number of indicators used for calculating ER "C3_ER": MSFD 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 class (< 50% = low, 50-74 % = Moderate, = 75 % = High) "AULEVEL": Level of assessment units

Illegal oil discharges data is based on airborne surveillance supplemented with remote sensing equipment in the Baltic Sea Area carried out by HELCOM Contracting Parties within HELCOM IWGAS group. Aerial surveillance is limited within Russia and Latvia. Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = HELCOM ID "Country" = Country of observation "Year" = Year of observation "FlightType" = Flight observation performed at Day or Night "Date" = Date of the observation "Time_UTC" = Time of the observation (time zone is UTC) "Wind_speed" = Wind speed during observation "Wind_direc" = Wind direction during observation "Latitude" = longitude coordinate of observed oil spill "Longitude" = longitude coordinate of observed oil spill "Length__km" = length in km "Width__km_" = Width in km "Area__km2_" = Area in km2 "Spill_cat" = Spill category (oil or orther substance detected) "EstimVol_m" = Estimated volume of oil spill (m3) "Category" = Category of oil spill "SPILL" = Spill ID