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.

This dataset contains all dioxins in sediments monitoring station locations as reported to HELCOM secretariat by HELCOM Contracting Parties by 2016.

Observations of Euspira pallida 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. Euspira pallida has been placed to the Red List category of Vulnerable (VU) species. Dataset for download contains spatial grid of the Baltic Sea. Distribution of the species can be found in corresponding name column. Values are coded: 1 - Present before year 2000 or in 2000, 2 - Present after year 2000, 3 - Present both before and after year 2000.

The pressure oil slicks and spills is combination of following datasets: Illegal oil discharges (2016-2021): Value of spills (VOLUME) under OR EQUAL 1km2 was directly given to grid cell. If the spill area > 1km2, a buffer with the area was added (circular buffer based on estimated radius) and the estimated volume of the spill was divided by the spill area to get the estimated amount of oil / km2. This value was given to the entire spill area. If oil spill volume was missing, mean of values was given. If area of spill was missing (103/560), mean of values was given. If the spill was < or = 1km2, the value of spill volume was given directly to 1km2 grid cell. If the spill area was > 1km2, the estimated volume of the spill was divided by the spill area to get the estimated amount of oil / km2. This value was given to the entire spill area. Layer was log transformed and normalized. Polluting ship accidents (2016-2020): Point, spill volume (m3) converted directly to 1 x 1 km grid A mean of reported volumes was given to accidents with missing oil volume. Spill volume in m3 was given directly to 1km2 grid cell. Layer was log transformed and normalized. Layers were separately normalised. After that, layers were summed and again normalised to produce the final pressure value between 0 and 1.

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

This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment based on the presence of hazardous substances in the bottom sediments. The rate of embryo malformations indicates reproductive toxicity due to the presence of hazardous substances in the bottom sediments. The threshold value has not been achieved on all stations within each basin indicating that toxic effects of contaminants may be present. The variability of the malformation rate is much greater within a basin than between the Bothnian Sea and the Baltic proper. 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 4 assessment unit "level_2" = name of subbasin "Area (km2)" = Area of the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "L2" = ID for the HELCOM scale 2 assessment unit "AULEVEL" = Assessment unit level used for the indicator "STATUS" = Status of the indicator (“Achieve”, “Fail”, "Not assessed" or “Not applicable”)

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 dataset contains the most up-to-date reported data about hydrographical monitoring stations in the Baltic Sea. Dataset for download contains Baltic Sea hydrographical monitoring stations. Frequency can be found in corresponding name column.

This dataset describes fishing effort (hours/c-square) for mobile bottom-contacting gear in first quarter of 2013 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). HELCOM requires spatially explicit information on fishing activity affecting the Baltic Sea marine ecosystem for policy purposes. In order to obtain this information a joint ICES/HELCOM/OSPAR data call was issued to relevant authorities of contracting parties to deliver information on fishing activity based on VMS/Log book data. The raw data was submitted to ICES and processed to advice data products by ICES Working Group for Spatial Fisheries (WGSFD) as requested by HELCOM. Processing of the raw data requires specific resources, knowledge and guarantee of anonymity for specific vessels, thus the process was done by ICES WGSFD following Conditions for VMS data use. In 2015 ICES collated Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and logbook data received; data from Russia were not received. ICES provided to HELCOM advice as fishing abrasion pressure maps as well as fishing effort maps. HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the data: - 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 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 Year: Year of fishing activity quarter: Quarter of the year, if applicable geargroup: Fishing gear group (Effort maps) SubsurfSAR: Subsurface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) SurfSAR: Surface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) Fishing_ho: Total fishing effort in hours within c-square (Effort maps) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data.

This dataset describes fishing effort (hours/c-square) for longlines in 2010 based on VMS/Log book data processed by ICES Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). HELCOM requires spatially explicit information on fishing activity affecting the Baltic Sea marine ecosystem for policy purposes. In order to obtain this information a joint ICES/HELCOM/OSPAR data call was issued to relevant authorities of contracting parties to deliver information on fishing activity based on VMS/Log book data. The raw data was submitted to ICES and processed to advice data products by ICES Working Group for Spatial Fisheries (WGSFD) as requested by HELCOM. Processing of the raw data requires specific resources, knowledge and guarantee of anonymity for specific vessels, thus the process was done by ICES WGSFD following Conditions for VMS data use. In 2015 ICES collated Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and logbook data received; data from Russia were not received. ICES provided to HELCOM advice as fishing abrasion pressure maps as well as fishing effort maps. HELCOM secretariat did the following processing to the data: - 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 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 Year: Year of fishing activity quarter: Quarter of the year, if applicable geargroup: Fishing gear group (Effort maps) SubsurfSAR: Subsurface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) SurfSAR: Surface swept area ratio (Intensity maps) Fishing_ho: Total fishing effort in hours within c-square (Effort maps) Reported: Yes=Reported data. No= No reported data (area that does not contain effort/intensity value due to lack of reported data.