Select benthic invertebrate and sediment data from 1985 to 2023 for mapping benthic biodiversity to facilitate future sustainable development

Published by:
Marine Environmental Data & Information Network
Last updated:
02 December 2025
Topic:
Not added
Licence:
None

Summary

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.

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Data links

Link to the data Format File added Data preview
Cefas Data Portal N/A 02 December 2025 Not available

Additional information

View additional metadata
Added to data.gov.uk
2025-11-28
Access contraints
Not specified
Harvest GUID
CEFAS7cb3974a-f675-4831-ba11-76a83f4721d5
Extent
Latitude: 61.50° to °
Longitude: -14.00° to 15.00°
Spatial reference system
Dataset reference date
2025-10-14 (publication)
2025-11-28 (revision)
2025-09-01 (creation)
Frequency of update
unknown
Responsible party
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory (CEFAS) (originator, custodian, distributor, owner); British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA) (owner); Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (owner); The Crown Estate (owner); UK Oil and Gas Industry Ltd (owner)
ISO 19139 resource type
dataset
Metadata language
eng
Source Metadata
XML
HTML

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