In early 2017, Shom established a near-bottom turbidity observation network to measure turbidity and currents near the seabed continuously, at high frequency and over a long period of time (several years). Seven mooring points with ecological and / or sedimentological interests and impacted by anthropogenic activities (except the control point in the Celtic Sea) have thus been defined. The product "Turbidity Time Series ROEC" contains turbidity level records measured in NTU by optical turbidimeters implanted at each of the 7 wetting points of the monitoring network as well as currents recordings (speed (m/s) and direction (°) measured by a single-point current meter. The data present in the product "ROEC Turbidity Time Series" corresponds to raw data from NTUS sensors (Wetlabs) and Aquadopp (Nortek) deployed on different moorings and transcoded in .CSV format. The time series are provided in their entirety and have not been post-processed. The files can therefore include certain erroneous values related to specific anomalies in the acquisition made by the sensor or intervals without data when the acquisition knows ranges of interruption.

This vector dataset represents the benthic broad habitat types in Europe Seas potentially affected by the ship wakes. When navigating, the propellers of ships generate a turbulent mixing of the water that can produce sediment re-suspension in soft bottoms of shallow areas. This can increase the turbidity in those areas, affecting the seafloor organisms (especially those that are directly dependent on light, such as aquatic plants). It may also contribute to an increase of the the eutrophication level of the ecosystem (since the turbid waters may become warmer, which may turn into a reduction of dissolved oxygen in water). Finally, turbidity can produce an increase in the inputs of contaminants and microbial pathogens, since those can become attached to the suspended solids. The dataset has been prepared in the context of the development of the first European Maritime Transport Environmental Report (https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/maritime-transport).