This 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 Good, Not good 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: “Code” = Code of the Helcom scale 4 assessment unit “Descriptio” = Description of assessment unit CR = Contamination ratio, 0 – 1= Status is “Good”, 1-99998= Status is “Not good”, 99998-99999= Status “Not assessed” Status = Status of the indicator (“Good”, “Not good” or “Not assessed”) Confidence = Confidence of the status

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

HELCOM Marine Protected Areas database (HELCOM MPA database) contains following information: The HELCOM MPA database contains information related to each MPA described in MPA fact sheets, which contains general information on the MPA, management plans, species, biotopes, biotope complexes as well as pressures and human activities related to the MPA. The HELCOM MPA database can be access from http://mpas.helcom.fi Spatial data on areas of MPAs, described in a separate shapefile: http://metadata.helcom.fi/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/d27df8c0-de86-4d13-a06d-35a8f50b16fa The designation of HELCOM MPAs is based on the HELCOM Recommendation 15/5 (1994). The data contained in HELCOM MPA database is reported by HELCOM Contracting Parties and has been collected since 2007 to HELCOM BSPA (Baltic Sea Protected Areas) database. The database was updated to Oracle database solution in ECONET project during 2015 and gradually updated as new information becomes available. The content of HELCOM MPA database is verified annually in HELCOM State & Conservation meetings.

HELCOM regularly produces a Pollution Load Compilation (PLC) which assesses the data collected by the Contracting Parties on total air and waterborne inputs of nutrients and some hazardous substances to the Baltic Sea. PLC are an important part of HELCOM´s assessment system on the status of the Baltic marine environment since 1987. HELCOM Pollution Load Compilation database (HELCOM PLC database) contains waterborne discharge data collected and reported by HELCOM Contracting Parties for annual and periodic assessments of inputs of nutrients and selected hazardous substances in to the Baltic Sea. Description of the data collected in the PLC database is presented in the HELCOM Guidelines for the annual and periodical compilation and reporting of waterborne pollution inputs to the Baltic Sea: http://www.helcom.fi/Lists/Publications/PLC-Water-Guidelines-2019.pdf The database is hosted by Baltic Nest Institute, Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre.

This core indicator evaluates the status of abundance of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea region. 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. The dataset contains the compilation of the abundance of coastal waterbirds in the wintering season and offshore from the data submitted by HELCOM contracting parties to the data call for HOLAS 3. Data was received from DE, EE, PL, SE).

In 2010, HELCOM completed the initial assessment (HOLAS I) of the ecosystem health of the Baltic Sea – including the associated costs and benefits to the society. The assessment was based on data from 2003 to 2007. The summary report can be found at: https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/BSEP122.pdf and more information about HOLAS I at: https://helcom.fi/baltic-sea-trends/holistic-assessments/2010-initial-holistic-assessment/ All datasets for HOLAS I and associated metadata were here compiled. The datasets are: BaP in mussel BaP in sediment BDE47 Status Benzo[b]fluoranthene status BghiP in mussels BghiP in sediment Bisphenol A in biota Cadmium in fish liver Cadmium in fish muscle Cadmium in mussels CB118 in fish CB118 in mussels CB118 in sediment Chlorophyll a status 2007-2011 Chlorophyll a status confidence 2007-2011 Chlorophyll a status distance to target 2007-2011 Coastal areas chl-a Coastal areas nitrogen Coastal areas overall eutrophication status Coastal areas phosphorus Coastal areas secchi DDE in herring DDE in mussels DDE in sediment DEHP in biota DEHP in sediment Dioxin and PCB in herring Dioxin and PCB in perch Dioxin in herring Dioxin in mussels Dioxin in perch Eutrophication status 2007-2011 Eutrophication status confidence 2007-2011 HCH in sediment HCH in water Interpolated benthic invertebrate status classification Interpolated chemical status Interpolated Chlorophyll a status classification Interpolated DIN status classification Interpolated DIP status classification Interpolated ecosystem health status Interpolated ecosystem health status Interpolated eutrophication status classification Interpolated secchi depth status classification Mercury in fish muscle Mercury in mussels Nitrogen status 2007-2011 Nitrogen status confidence 2007-2011 Nitrogen status distance to target 2007-2011 Nonylphenols Octylphenols Open sea areas benthic invertebrates Open sea areas chl-a Open sea areas nitrogen Open sea areas overall eutrophication status Open sea areas phosphorus Open sea areas secchi Overall biodiversity status coastal area Overall biodiversity status open sea Overall chemical status coastal areas Overall chemical status open sea Overall ecosystem health status coastal area Overall ecosystem health status open sea Oxygen status 2007-2011 Oxygen status confidence 2007-2011 Oxygen status distance to target 2007-2011 PFOS in herring liver PFOS in seal liver Phosphorus status 2007-2011 Phosphorus status confidence 2007-2011 Phosphorus status distance to target 2007-2011 SCCP in fish TBT in fish TBT in mussels TBT in sediment Water clarity status 2007-2011 Water clarity status confidence 2007-2011 Water clarity status distance to target 2007-2011 More information about the HELCOM holistic assessments can be found here: https://helcom.fi/baltic-sea-trends/holistic-assessments/

MORS Discharge database has been used to collate data reported by HELCOM Contracting Parties on airborne and waterborne discharges resulting from nuclear facilities in the Baltic Sea and North Sea region based on HELCOM Recommendation 26/3. The database is structured according to HELCOM Guidelines on Monitoring of Radioactive Substances (http://www.helcom.fi/Lists/Publications/Guidelines%20for%20Monitoring%20of%20Radioactive%20Substances.pdf), which specifies reporting format, database structure, data types and obligatory parameters used for reporting data under Recommendation 26/3. The database is updated and quality assured annually by HELCOM MORS EG. The discharge data is reported by national competent authorities in HELCOM Contracting Parties to data consultant (STUK, Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority). HELCOM MORS Expert Group validates and quality assures annually all data reported to HELCOM MORS Discharge Database.

This online application serves as a joint regional tool to identify low risk routes for IMO Ballast Water Convention exemptions (A-4) for HELCOM and OSPAR marine areas. Data are provided following the port survey protocol described in the HELCOM/OSPAR Joint Harmonised Procedure. https://helcom.fi/media/documents/Joint-HELCOM_OSPAR-Guidelines.pdf The database contains environmental data recorded from OSPAR and HELCOM ports as well as species observations and applies World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) taxonomy. The data model used is based on Darwin Core format, with required extensions added. The database can be searched, viewed and downloaded using a specific web application. The whole database can be downloaded as a zipped ESRI File geodatabase. The HELCOM/OSPAR Ballast Water Exemptions Decision Support Tool was further developed in the EU INTERREG Baltic Sea Region project COMPLETE, following work developed with funding through the HELCOM ALIENS 2 and 3 and BALSAM projects by the HELCOM Secretariat and Germany (BSH/Brockmann consult). The data contained in the database are resulting from various sources and contains also historical legacy data from old projects. Main sources are listed below: - HELCOM and OSPAR countries national projects - HELCOM ALIENS 2 - HELCOM ALIENS 3 - HELCOM BALSAM

The PLAN BOTHNIA project, co-ordinated by the HELCOM Secretariat, tested transboundary Maritime Spatial Planning in the Baltic Sea. The project used the Bothnian Sea area between Sweden and Finland as a case study of Baltic transboundary MSP. The project was a Baltic Sea MSP “preparatory action” funded by EU Commission DG MARE (budget 0,5 M EUR ) under the EU Integrated Maritime Policy, and run 18 months between 2. December 2010 and 1. June 2012. The final report can be downloaded here: https://planbothnia.org/the-pilot-plan/ The data covers the following topics: Maritime traffic Fishing and aquaculture Energy Nature protected areas Defence Scientific research Sand and gravel Tourism and recreation Cultural heritage All spatial data gathered during the project can be downloaded and used freely given that the source is cited. The data was gathered during the time span of the project (December 2010 and 1. June 2012) and it covers: Maritime traffic Fishing and aquaculture Energy Nature protected areas Defence Scientific research Sand and gravel Tourism and recreation Cultural heritage The source of the data were HELCOM and the different regional councils surrounding the Bothnian Sea.