Springtime Chl-a concentration is here used as a proxy for productive surface waters. In the Baltic Sea Spatial Pressure and Impact Index (SPIA), areas with high springtime phytoplankton production will be given higher importance, as they are considered important areas for the Baltic Sea food web. In the current map, mean of springtime maximum weekly values (weeks 12-22 for the HOLAS3 assessment period 2016-2021). Satellite Chl-a concentration of the surface waters has been used and converted to index by Finnish Environment institute with resolution of 1 km x 1 km grid cells.

This dataset contains datasets for the Eutrophication assessment developed under the HELCOM Third Holistic Assessment of the Ecosystem Health of the Baltic Sea (HOLAS 3). The dataset contains all Baltic Sea monitoring CTD data reported by HELCOM Contracting Parties to ICES for the HOLAS3 assessment period 2016-2021. The data have been reported using the ICES Ocean reporting format: https://www.ices.dk/data/data-portals/Pages/ocean-format.aspx https://www.ices.dk/data/Documents/ocean/ICES-Oceanography-Data-Submission-Format.zip

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 represents the Integrated biodiversity status assessment for grey seals. 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 status of the grey seals was assessed using four core indicators: - Population trends and abundance of seals - Distribution of Baltic seals - Nutritional status of seals - Reproductive status of seals. The assessment is based on the one-out-all-out approach, i.e. the indicator reflecting the worst status in each assessment unit. This dataset displays the result of the integrated biodiversity status in HELCOM Assessment unit Scale 2 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins). Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = ID of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "level_2" = Name of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "EcosystemC" = Ecosystem component analyzed "BQR" = Biological Quality Ratio "Conf" = Confidence of the assessment "Total_indi" = Number of indicators used "Area_km2" = Area of scale 2 assessment unit "F_of_ar_1" = Share of total area assessed "D1CX" = MSFD descriptor 1 criteria X "conf_D1C_1" = Confidence of the MSFD descriptor 1 criteria 2 "STATUS" = Status assessment 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 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

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

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 seawater. Attribute information: "HELCOM_ID" = Code of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "level_2" = name of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit (subbasin) "area_km2" = Area of HELCOM assessment unit "Indicator" = name of the indicator "Unit" = Unit used for the measured parameter "Type" = type of the indicator "Threshold value" = Threshold value for the subbasin "Indicator value" = Indicator value (result) for the subbasin "STATUS" = Status of the indicator in seawater (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”)

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

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. In this assessment unit, the average Dia/Dino index of the years 2016-2021 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 "level_2" = Name of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "Indicator_" = Name of the indicator "Period" = Interval of year of the sampling "AnnualSamp" = Assessment average sampling value "Unit" = Unit of the indicator "Type" = Type of indicator (1=monotonic, 2=unimodal, optimal range) "Threshold_" = Threshold value of indicator "Indicator1" = Result of the indicator "Status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”)