Collation of habitat polygon records contributing to the Geodatabase of Marine features adjacent to Scotland (GeMS). Records are attributed as to their qualification as protected features of protected areas within the Scottish MPA network. Where appropriate typical record details will include: status as Scottish Priority Marine Features or Annex I Habitat, MNCR biotope, EUNIS habitat, date, date range, year, status, accuracy, determiner and details of where the records are sourced from and intellectual property ownership. Polygon area values in the HECTARES field are calculated using ETRS89-LAEA (EPSG:3035) using the standard centre of projection at 10° E, 52° N.

Layers relate to: the components of Priority Marine Features (PMF), MPA Search features (Black guillemot or Large-scale features of functional significance used to underpin the selection of Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NC MPA)). Our knowledge about the marine environment, and about which locations should be recommended as MPAs, comes from a range of sources: from targeted surveys led by SNH, JNCC and Marine Scotland focussed on marine habitats and species relevant to Priority marine Features (PMF), survey work conducted by industry, volunteers recording information while enjoying the marine environment for recreation. Information varies from recent to much older. There are a number of different types of data which have been collected using a range of different methods. Data has been placed into a standardised structure to support its use. Depending on who collected them, and for which purpose, some data were in a format we could use immediately while other data needed to be processed before they were able to be used in the Scottish MPA project. The information has been collated in a computer database called GeMS (Geodatabase for Marine Habitats and Species adjacent to Scotland) and has underpinned much of the Scottish Marine Protected Areas process. These layers update and build upon mapping presented in Baxter et al., 2011. Scotland's Marine Atlas: Information for the national marine plan. Marine Scotland, Edinburgh. pp.191

The dataset shows larger expanses of bare peat across Scotland from Sentinel 2 imagery taken in summer 2018. Resolution of 10m x 10m Sentinel 2 pixels. Produced by GIG Earth Observation team for the Peatland Action project to be used at a regional scale to identify those parts of Scotland with the most exposed peat.

From 2010-2012 all known saltmarshes larger than 3ha were surveyed across the Scottish mainland and offshore islands, to compile the first detailed comprehensive national survey of this habitat in Scotland. All saltmarsh and brackish swamp was mapped using the National Vegetation Classification. All mapped areas were digitised to a 1:4,000 scale GIS database. The condition of each saltmarsh site visited was assessed. The primary aims of the Scottish Saltmarsh Survey (SSS) were to obtain information on the morphology, vegetation community structure and species found on saltmarsh sites above 3ha in area or 500m in linear extent.The survey was a joint project between Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).The saltmarsh survey was tendered in 2009 and awarded to NatureBureau Ltd, who began work on the project in 2010.Detailed report: http://www.snh.gov.uk/publications-data-and-research/publications/search-the-catalogue/publication-detail/?id=2404

Confidence in kinetic energy due to waves values, produced by EMODnet Seabed Habitats for the 2016 EUSeaMap broad-scale predictive habitat maps. Values are on a range from 1 (Low confidence) to 3 (High confidence). The confidence assessment considered factors such as: • Quality of training data and methods used to construct the model. • Temporal resolution. • Spatial resolution Detailed information on the confidence assessment in Populus J. et al 2017. EUSeaMap, a European broad-scale seabed habitat map. Ifremer. http://doi.org/10.13155/49975

Confidence in kinetic energy due to currents values, produced by EMODnet Seabed Habitats for the 2016 EUSeaMap broad-scale predictive habitat maps. Values are on a range from 1 (Low confidence) to 3 (High confidence). Detailed information on the confidence assessment in Populus J. et al 2017. EUSeaMap, a European broad-scale seabed habitat map. Ifremer. http://doi.org/10.13155/49975

Successive infections with Vibrio harveyi were conducted in two populations of the European abalone in order to examine which genes may be involved in improved survival to the disease in the St. Malo population.

This dataset describes location and area cover for Lithophyllum bissoides platforms along the Maltese coast. Such data was collected under the EMFF 8.3.1 Project. The monitoring was undertaken in line with Malta's monitoring factsheets for the MSFD Directive.

Confidence in the full output of the 2016 EUSeaMap broad-scale predictive model, produced by EMODnet Seabed Habitats. Values are on a range from 1 (Low confidence) to 3 (High confidence). Confidence is calculated by amalgamating the confidence values of the underlying applicable habitat descriptors used to generate the habitat value in the area in question. Habitat descriptors differ per region but include: Biological zone Energy class Oxygen regime Salinity regime Seabed Substrate Riverine input Confidence in habitat descriptors are driven by the confidence in the source data used to determine the descriptor, and the confidence in the threshold/margin (areas closer to a boundary between two classes will have lower confidence). For each grid cell, the confidence in final habitat class was the minimum of all relevant habitat descriptor confidence scores. Confidence values are also available for each habitat descriptor and input data layer. It is important to note that a habitat type confidence score is only relevant to that particular level of the classification system. For example, a cell of A3.1 high energy infralittoral rock with ‘low’ energy class confidence, ‘moderate’ biozone confidence and ‘high’ substrate type confidence would have an overall ‘low’ confidence. However, moving up the hierarchy to EUNIS level two (A3 infralittoral rock) removes the energy class; therefore, the confidence of the EUNIS level two habitat type would only consider the ‘moderate’ biozone confidence and ‘high’ substrate type confidence, resulting in an overall ‘moderate’ confidence. For details on methodology see: Populus J. And Vasquez M. (Eds), 2017. EUSeaMap, a European broad-scale seabed habitat map. Ifremer Available from: http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00388/49975/

Spatial distribution of marine hábitats in Levantino-Balear demarcation in Spain