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

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.

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

This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on concentrations of heavy metal cadmium (Cd) in seawater, biota and sediments. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate if core indicators status is "Achieve", "Fail" or "Not assessed". Threshold values are based on Environmental quality standards (EQS), defined at EU level for substances included in the priority list under the Water Framework Directive. 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 sediment" = Contamination ratio in sediment for this substance "Status in sediment" = Status of the indicator in sediment (“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 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 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 pelagic 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. Open sea areas were assessed based on the core indicators ‘Zooplankton mean size and total stock’ and ‘Chlorophyll-a’, as well as the pre-core indicator ‘Cyanobacterial bloom index’ . Coastal areas were assessed by national indicators. This dataset displays the result of the integrated biodiversity 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" = Code of the HELCOM assessment unit "Country" = Country of coastal assessment unit/ open sea "Level2" = HELCOM sub-basins (name of the scale 2 assessment unit) "Name" = Name of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "Area_km2" = Area of assessment unit "AULEVEL" = scale of the assessment unit "HID" = assessment unit ID by country "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 "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))

Potential cumulative impacts of eutrophication and hazardous substances assesses the cumulative potential effect of eutrophication and hazardous substances over all ecosystem components. The evaluation is based on the pressure layer on eutrophication and hazardous substances, combined with information on all ecosystem components (57 layers) included in SPIA for HOLAS 3. The thematic analyses is calculated for each assessment unit (1 km2 grid cells) and the data set covers the time period 2016-2021. Spatial Pressure and Impact Assessment (SPIA) is the framework for assessing spatial and cumulative pressures and impacts in HOLAS 3, and this analyses present a thematic assessment including only a certain subset of layers. The framework also includes results for the Baltic Sea Impact Index (full cumulative impact assessment), Baltic Sea Pressure Index (full cumulative pressure assessment), and other thematic assessments where a subset of pressure and ecosystem layers are used. For more info please - visit the HOLAS 3 website (http://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/) - download the report thematic assessment of spatial distribution of pressures and impacts 2016-2021 (https://helcom.fi/post_type_publ/holas3_spa) - or check out the HELCOM SPIA online tool to make calculations for any desired combination of pressures and ecosystem layers (https://maps.helcom.fi/website/bsii/). Please scroll down to "Lineage" for a more detailed description of the methodology.

Potential cumulative impacts on benthic habitats is based on the same method than http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/9477be37-94a9-4201-824a-f079bc27d097, but is focused on physical pressures and benthic habitats. The dataset was created based on separate analysis for potential cumulative impacts on only the benthic habitats, as these are particularly affected by physical pressures. In this case the evaluation was based on pressure layers representing http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/ea0ef0fa-0517-40a9-866a-ce22b8948c88 and http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/05e325f3-bc30-44a0-8f0b-995464011c82, combined with information on the distribution of eight broad benthic habitat types and five habitat-forming species (http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/363cb353-46da-43f4-9906-7324738fe2c3, http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/f9cc7b2c-4080-4b19-8c38-cac87955cb91, http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/264ed572-403c-43bd-9707-345de8b9503c, http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/822ddece-d96a-4036-9ad8-c4b599776eca and http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/ca327bb1-d3cb-46c2-8316-f5f62f889090). The potential cumulative impacts has been estimated based on currently best available data, but spatial and temporal gaps may occur in underlying datasets. Please scroll down to "Lineage" and visit http://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/cumulative-impacts/ for more info.

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 (20162021 = 2016 – 2021) "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")