This dataset underpins the study Mapping benthic biodiversity to facilitate
future sustainable development, which used benthic macrofaunal records and
sediment particle size analysis (PSA) to generate high-resolution maps of
biodiversity across the continental shelf of the North-East Atlantic. The
dataset comprises 22,793 standardised grab and core samples collected between
1985 and 2023, with taxonomic names harmonised via the World Register of
Marine Species (WoRMS). It includes species abundance data, diversity metrics
(alpha-, beta- and gamma-diversity), and biodiversity cluster classifications
derived through Random Forest modelling. The primary purpose of this dataset
is to inform marine spatial planning and environmental licensing, especially
in the context of offshore wind development and other seabed activities.
