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 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 data on core indicator Zooplankton mean size and total stock (MSTS). The core indicator evaluates zooplankton community structure to determine whether it reflects good environmental status. The dataset contains following attributes: "Country" = Country "Assessment" = Name of HELCOM Level 2 assessment unit "Year" = Year of observation "Station" = Sampling station name "Latitude" = Latitude (WGS84 deicmal degrees) "Longitude" = Longitude (WGS84 deicmal degrees) "Sampling_t" = Sampling date and time "Mean_size" = Mean size (microg / individual) "Total_biom" = Total biomass (mg/m3) "Data_origi" = Data source organization "National_m" = National monitorig data (Yes/No) "Use_restri" = Data use restrictions (Yes/No)

This dataset represents the underlying data on core indicator Zooplankton mean size and total stock (MSTS). The core indicator evaluates zooplankton community structure to determine whether it reflects good environmental status. Quantitative thresholds are used to evaluate core indicators status in Achieve, Fail or Not assessed. As a rule, achieve status occur when large sized zooplankters occur abundantly in the plankton community. Due to strong environmental gradients, size distribution and total stock of the zooplankton corresponding to achieve status vary between the Baltic Sea sub-basins. This dataset displays the result of the indicator in HELCOM Assessment Scale 2 (Division of the Baltic Sea into 17 sub-basins). The dataset contains following attributes: "HELCOM_ID" = ID of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "SB_Code" = Code of the HELCOM subbasin "Name" = Name of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "Threshold value" = Threshold value for this indicator "Indicator value" = Value for the indicator in HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "Status" = Status of the indicator (“Good”, “Not good” or “Not assessed”) "Info" = additional information "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "ConfA" = confidence of classification "ConfT" = Temporal confidence of classification "ConfS" = Spatial confidence of classification "ConfM" = Methodological confidence of classification

This dataset describes fishing intensity for OT MIX CRU 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.

Sandbanks (according to Habitats Directive Annex I) are areas elevated from their surroundings that consist mainly of sand, but where cobbles and boulders can occur. Distribution map is based on data submission by HELCOM contracting parties. Most of the submitted data is based on modelling, GIS analysis and only limited ground-truthing has been carried out. Data coverage, accuracy and the methods in obtaining the data vary between countries.

Observations of Coregonus albula were collected from the Baltic Sea area for HELCOM Red List species list. The HELCOM Red List of Baltic Sea species in danger of becoming extinct (2013) is the first threat assessment for Baltic Sea species that covers all marine mammals, fish, birds, macrophytes (aquatic plants), and benthic invertebrates, and follows the Red List criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Almost 2800 species were considered in the Red List assessment and about 1750 were evaluated according to the IUCN Red List criteria. Coregonus albula has been placed to the Red List category of Least Concern (LC) species. The map shows the sub-basins in the HELCOM area where the species is known to occur regularly and to reproduce (HELCOM 2012).

This indicator evaluates the eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea area based on annual total phosphorus concentration. The measured average total phosphorus on in-situ measurements from oceanographic monitoring data for 2011-2016 (µmol/l), surface water (0-10 m). More detailed description on methodology can be found at http://www.helcom.fi/baltic-sea-trends/indicators/total-phosphorus-(tp)/ 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). The open sea areas have been assessed based on HELCOM Monitoring data and results for coastal areas are based on national WFD results. Some of the open sea areas have not been assessed due to lack of commonly agreed threshold value. Attribute information: “HELCOM_ID” = Code of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit "Country" = Country/ Opensea "level_2" = Name of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "Name" = Name of the HELCOM scale 4 assessment unit” "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "Indicator" = Name of indicator “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 "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 (“Good”, “Not good”, “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 "Winter status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) in winter "Winter ratio between ES and ET (ER)" = Ratio between ES and ET (in case of indicator with positive response to eutrophication) in winter "Winter indicator value (ES)" = Commonly agreed thershold value in winter

This core indicator evaluates the abundance of selected functional groups of coastal fish in the Baltic Sea. Quantitative thresholds are used to classify core indicators status in "Achieve", "Fail" or "Not assessed". As a rule, good status is achieved when the abundance of piscivores (i.e. fish that feed on other fish) is above a site-specific threshold value, and the abundance of cyprinids or mesopredators (i.e. mid trophic-level fish) is within an acceptable range for the specific site. The status of functional groups of coastal fish in the Baltic Sea has been evaluated by assessing the status of piscivores and cyprinids/mesopredators during the period 2011-2016. This dataset displays the result of the indicator for piscivores 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" = HELCOM ID of the HELCOM scale 3 assessment unit "Country" = Country/ Open sea "level_2" = Name of scale 2 HELCOM assessment unit "Name" = "level_3" = Name of scale 3 HELCOM assessment unit "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 3 assessment unit "Coastal" = Code of scale 3 HELCOM assessment unit  "Open sea" = Name of the open sea area "Coast_Code" = Code of scale 3 HELCOM assessment unit "Subbasin code" = Code of the HELCOM subbasin (scale 3) "Indicator" = Name of the indicator "Unit" = Unit of the indicator "Type" = 1 = boundary values increase/decrease monotonically, 2 = optimum range indicator "Threshold" = Threshold value of indicator "Indicator value" = Result value for the indicator "Status" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail” or “Not assessed”) "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "ConfA" = Confidence of classification "ConfT" = Temporal confidence of classification "ConfS" = Spatial confidence of classification "ConfM" = Methodological confidence of classification

The dataset contains the number of hunted cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) per year per county. A total sum and a calculated average (hunted individuals/year) are given for the time period 2016-2021 The data was made available by HELCOM Contracting Parties in response to a data call. The data was reported by Estonia, Finland, and Sweden. The activity was declared as not relevant in Germany, Latvia and Poland. Attribute specification and units: Area: Name of the EG administrative unit or other areas in which the activity is taking place Corm_2016-Corm_2021: Number of hunted birds/unit area per year for each target species (cormorant) AVRG: Average of the number of hunted birds/unit area per year