All major businesses that have a discharge point into water and according to the Environmental Code are classified as environmentally hazardous are also responsible for taking samples of the water they discharge themselves. Such a business can, for example, be an industry, a sewage treatment plant or a large farm. Since the water that a discharge point empties into is called a recipient, this sampling is called recipient control. The municipality conducts water quality sampling at all discharge points from the treatment plants. Through this sampling, we measure, among other things, depth of view, oxygen content, levels of nutrients and more. The purpose of the investigation is to describe and monitor the environmental impact on the recipient from Osthamar's treatment plant and urban area.

The survey was conducted at 17 stations in the coastal waters of the Maltese Islands in 2012. Sediment samples were collected using a Van Veen grab sampler. The collected sediment was collected in a container of adequate size, photographed and immediately sampled. At each station two samples were collected in order to execute and compare two chemical analyses. These were placed in a cool box and transported to the warehouse and stored in a refrigerator. Later, they were shipped by express courier to the laboratory within 3 working days. The samples were analysed for the level of pollutants using International Organization for Standardization and US Environmental Protection Agency standard procedures. The pollutants tested for are important metals, hydrocarbons and PAHs and persistent organic compounds that can cause bioaccumulation. The measurements were made in connection with a monitoring survey of Maltese coastal waters. The resultant datasets generated provide the benchmark for long term monitoring programs and assessments that are required in order to implement EU Directives on water resources.

The provided microplastic dataset was generated during The Ocean Race Europe in May-June 2021. The samples were collected onboard two 65’ one-design yachts known as VolvoOcean65, called AmberSail2 and AkzoNobel Ocean Racing in the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The instruments used for underway measurements were the same as used in Tanuha et al., 2020. The system consists of a specially built OceanPack RACE manufactured by SubCtech GmbH in Kiel, which was connected to a microplastic filtration unit built by bbe Moldaenke GmbH. (Data submission https://www.emodnet-ingestion.eu/submissions/submissions_details.php?menu=39&tpd=232&step=0103_001volvo%20ocean%20race). The mixed-layer surface water (~1.5 m depending on the heel of the yachts) was sampled in the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The laboratory analysis of collected samples was undertaken by GEOMAR (Kiel), under the supervision of Aaron Beck and Toste Tanuha. The data variables includes GPS positions, time, temperature, salinity, flow rates and durations, sample ID, measured microplastic fiber, fragments and total concentration in [particles/m³]. Respetive concentrations of fiber and fragments are also provided for different colors: blue,red, orange, pink, yellow, green, black, clear, purple, grey, brown. Acknowledgements go to 11th Hour, teams AmberSail2 (Tomas Ivanauskas,Regimantas Buozius) and AkzoNobel (Liz Wardley), TheOcean Race Sustainability and Science programmes, bbe Moldaenke GmbH and SubCtech GmbH.

Lewis Wave Power Ltd. (LWP) (a wholly owned subsidiary of Aquamarine Power Ltd.) was seeking to develop a wave energy demonstration array off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. As a first stage of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, LWP commissioned Royal Haskoning Ltd. to produce an Environmental Scoping Report (Lewis Wave Power Ltd., 2011) to facilitate the identification and assessment of the potential environmental impacts associated with the project. The survey reported on here formed this field-based benthic component. Its purpose was to provide site-specific benthic data to inform an assessment of impact of the proposed development. The key objectives were to: Determine the distribution and abundance of marine habitats and communities within the study areas; Determine the substrate type at all locations sampled and Identify habitats or species of conservation importance.

A geotechnical survey campaign was undertaken within the vicinity of the Westermost Rough Offshore Wind Farm. This was supported by a preliminary review of acoustic data and assessment for the presence of Annex I reefs to minimise the risk of potential damage to protected features. Following the review of existing data, a drop down video survey protocol was developed (EMU, 2011) and approved by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). Part of this protocol identified that a number of proposed geotechnical sampling sites were likely to be in the vicinity of potential Annex I reefs and therefore warranted field ground-truthing by means of drop down video to verify the presence and status of these features. The video ground-truthing survey has now been completed. Drawing upon the findings of this survey, the 2012 EMU report present within this series provides an update of the assessment of the potential Annex I reefs present at the proposed geotechnical sample locations and fulfils condition 3.1.1 of the Marine Licence (Licence L/2011/001075). The aim of the 2013 Fugro EMU document also present within this series was to satisfy Marine Licence condition 31.22 and to address the responses from the MMO regarding the Annex I reef features (letter ref: REN024, dated 12th April 2013, and 21st June 2013). The objectives were to assess the impacts (direct and indirect) of the construction activities on the potential Annex I features. The objectives of this report were to: 1. Assess the direct impact (loss of habitat) of each of the construction activities; 2. Assess the associated indirect impacts (increase in sediment smothering, and suspended sediment concentrations. 3. Assess the cumulative impacts of all construction activities.

Envision have undertaken a biological interpretation of the geophysical data from Tranche A and Creyke Beck Export Cable Route. The strategy for this interpretation was to integrate sample records and the geophysical remotely sensed images to produce distribution maps. This follows the strategy that has been established within the EU through the MESH program. The primary purpose of analysis was to derive a limited range of habitat classes suitable for ground truthing the acoustic data, which were adopted as the mapping units. The requirements for successful ground truthing are not exactly the same as describing diversity. There has been more emphasis on commonality and potential for overlap between the mapping units. The analyses identified a small number of robust classes from the infauna defined by their predominant species and those that contributed most to the classes distinctiveness. Information on epifauna and gravel/cobble were incorporated to derive a single ground truth dataset Suitable ground truth data assigned to habitat classes is vital for integrated analysis and this necessitated Envision undertaking the analysis of the sample records to derive a locally relevant list of habitat classes. The analyses identified a small number of robust classes from the infauna defined by their predominant species and those that contributed most to the classes distinctiveness. Information on epifauna and gravel/cobble were incorporated to derive a single ground truth dataset The faunal composition of these groups were then matched to the Marine Habitat Classification for Britain and Ireland (v04.05) and a suite of possible biotopes assigned to the ground truth data. The geophysical data required processing and transformation to render the images suitable for integrated analysis. The analyses have been reported and the full list of habitat classes described. The interpretation of the geophysical data through integrated analysis with the ground truth data has been reported and the habitat class distribution map has been presented. Surficial sediments were identified from the still images and classified. These data have been used to ground truth the geophysical images and a map has been generated. The distribution of the habitats is discussed. The biota is typical of moderately exposed (moderately disturbed) gravelly sandy sediments in the North Sea. Although all the habitats can be considered components of Annex 1 Subtidal Sandbanks, there are no biotopes of particular sensitivity and, although Sabellaria spinulosa was found, the densities of individuals in samples was never very high and it is unlikely that any sample sites could be classified as biogenic reef.

The provided unique microplastic data was generated from the Leg 0,1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18. The samples were collected onboard "Turn the Tide on Plastic" (all Legs) and team "AkzoNobel" (Leg 7 and 9 till 11). The extraction of the stainless-steel filter cakes was performed in reference to Lenz et al. 2015 with ultrasonication. The solutions were measured with a microfluidic flow capillary Raman spectrometer in reflection mode and further analysed with holography. The data variables include GPS position, time, filter volume [L], measured microplastic concentration [particles/m³], error of microplastic concentration [particles/m³], Leg Number and yacht (1 = Turn the Tide on Plastic, 2 = AkzoNobel). Related in-situ oceanographic measurements are uploaded to the NOAA NCEI S2N database (NCEI Accession 0170967). The instrument used for underway measurements was the specially built OceanPack RACE manufactured by SubCtech GmbH in Kiel. The connected microplastic filtration unit and lab analysis prototype for microplastic (Raman) was built by bbe Moldaenke. The mixed-layer surface water (~1.5 m depending on the heel of the yachts) was sampled in the Mediterranean Sea, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, South Indian Ocean, West and South Pacific Ocean and others from 2017-10-22 to 2018-07-07. Measurements were performed by GEOMAR and acknowledgements go to the Cluster of Excellence Future Ocean (Funding for the Project and Position of Dr.-Ing. Sören B. Gutekunst), Volvo Cars, teams Turn the Tide on Plastic/AkzoNobel, the Volvo Ocean Race sustainability programme, bbe Moldaenke GmbH and SubCtech GmbH. Leg overview and yacht samples: Leg 0: Lisbon to Alicante/Spain TTOP Leg 1: Alicante to Lisbon/Portugal TTOP Leg 2: Lisbon to Cape Town/South Africa TTOP Leg 3: Cape Town to Melbourne/Australia TTOP Leg 4: Melbourne to Hong Kong/China TTOP Leg 5: not sampled - Leg 6: Hong Kong to Auckland/New Zealand TTOP Leg 7: Auckland to Itajaí/Brazil TTOP & AN Leg 8: Itajaí to Newport/U.S.A. TTOP Leg 9: Newport to Cardiff/U.K. TTOP & AN Leg 10: Cardiff to Gothenburg/Sweden TTOP & AN Leg 11 Gothenburg to The Hague/Netherlands TTOP & AN Leg 12: The Hague to Lisbon/Portugal TTOP In addition to the Marine Litter data also weather observations were collected and these are available from: https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0170967

The survey was conducted at 12 stations in the coastal waters of the Maltese Islands over a period of one year between May 2012 and July 2013. Sea water samples were collected at a depth of 5 metres using a Niskin bottle. These were transported to the laboratory in appropriate containers, where they were analysed for the level of pollutants using International Organization for Standardization and US Environmental Protection Agency standard procedures. The pollutants tested for are Priority substances and are divided into oils and miscellaneous. All stations were tested for oils, while only 9 stations were tested for miscellaneous pollutants. The measurements were made in connection with a monitoring survey of Maltese coastal waters. The resultant datasets generated provide the benchmark for long term monitoring programs and assessments that are required in order to implement EU Directives on water resources.

The survey was conducted at 26 stations in the coastal waters of the Maltese Islands over a period of one year between May 2012 and July 2013. Sea water samples were collected at 5 metres using a Niskin bottle. Nitrites, nitrates and Total Nitrogen were calculated on site using a probe and photometer, since these have a short holding time. They were then verified in the laboratory, where the other parameters were also measured, using the following methods: UNI EN ISO 10304-1:2009 (for Nitrites. Nitrates and Phosphates), APAT CNR IRSA 4060 Man 29 2003 (for Total Nitrogen), APAT CNR IRSA 4030B Man 29 2003 (for Ammonium Ions) and EPA 2007 1994 (for Total Phosphorous as P).

Floating macro plastics data collected during the DeFishGear str/00010, IPA-Adriatic, Cross Border Cooperation 2007–2013.