The dataset on the shellfish protected areas under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) was created in 2023 by AND-International for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). The Directive (Article 6, paragraphs 1 and 2) requires Member States to designate areas which require specific protection of their surface water and groundwater, or for the conservation of habitats and species directly depending on water. According to Annex IV (ii) of the WFD, these areas should include areas designated for the protection of economically significant aquatic species (shellfish in this case). This dataset compiles the designated areas as provided by national sources (The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government of Ireland and The Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demography in Spain) and it is available for viewing and download on EMODnet web portal (Human Activities, https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). Each polygon has the following attributes: area ID (in EMODnet), country, area name, designation date, ID from the source.

The dataset on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) established under the framework of the Regional Sea Conventions (RSCs) was created in 2023 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). It is based on spatial data provided by HELCOM (HELCOM_MPAs_2019_2), by SPA/RAC and MedPAN through the MAPAMED database (MAPAMED_SPAMI_2019_edition_version_2), and by OSPAR (OSPAR_MPAs_202107_001). It is available for viewing and download on EMODnet web portal (Human Activities, https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The dataset displays all the MPAs as officially reported by the respective Contracting Parties to the Helsinky Convention, to the Barcelona Convention and to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. The RSCs MPAs are established in order to promote the cooperation in the management and conservation of natural areas, as well as in the protection of threatened species and their habitats. Each RSC MPA may be established in the marine and coastal zones subject to the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Parties and in areas situated partly or wholly on the high sea. Thus, the dataset covers the MPAs Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) and the MPAs in following countries: Albania, Algeria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom. Where available each polygon has the following attributes: code, name (english and/or original), designation, country, status (adopted/designated, managed or partly managed, proposed), establishement year, area sqkm (reported, calculated), marine area sqkm (reported, calculated) management authorithy, site link. For further information please visit the data providers websites. This dataset covers the last updated versions in the 2021 and 2022.

The dataset on Emerald Network sites was created in 2023 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network. It is entirely based on spatial data from the European Environmental Agency (EEA), plus additional infos and selected EEA tabular data added as feature attributes. It is available for viewing and download on EMODnet web portal (Human Activities, https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The Emerald Network is an ecological network made up of Areas of Special Conservation Interest designated under Recommendation No. 16 (1989) and Resolution No. 3 (1996) of the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention. The objective of the Emerald Network is the long-term survival of the species and habitats. The Network involves all the European Union member States (the European Union contributes to the Emerald Network with its Natura 2000 sites), some non-Community States and a number of African States. The dataset cover the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Russian Federation (European part), Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. In the webmap the dataset has been filtered in order to show only marine and coastal sites. Where available each polygon has the following attributes: site code, site name, country code, country name, site type/description (A: SPA, Special Protection Areas - sites designated under the Birds Directive; B: SCIs and SACs, Sites of Community Importance and Special Areas of Conservation - sites designated under the Habitats Directive; C: where SPAs and SCIs/SACs boundaries are identical, sites are designated under both directives), site status (Proposed, Candidate or Adopted), compilation date, update date, area (ha), marine area percentage, marine/coastal location (1). For further information (e.g. biogeographic region, designation status, sites, habitats, impact, management, species and metadata) please visit the EEA's website hosting the Emerald tabular data (https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/emerald-network-data-1/emerald-tabular-data). This version covers the reporting in 2021.

The dataset on coastal and marine protected areas in the European seas for those countries or territories that are not covered by the the EEA's Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA) was created in 2022 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). This dataset is entirely based on GIS vector data from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2023, (Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas, WDPA, [Online], September 2023, Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, available at: www.protectedplanet.net), plus additional info and selected tabular data added as feature attributes, as well as the calculation of marine and coastal location of features. It is available for viewing and download on EMODnet web portal (Human Activities, https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The WDPA is the most comprehensive global database of marine and terrestrial protected areas, it is a joint project between UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it is managed by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), in collaboration with governments, non-governmental organisations, academia and industry. In the webmap the dataset has been filtered in order to show only marine and coastal areas. Geographical coverage: Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark (only the Faroe Islands), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France (only Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin French part), Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands (only Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Sint Maarten Dutch part) Nicaragua, Norway (only Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Palestine, Panama, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom (including Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat), United States (only Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the US Minor Outlying Islands in the Caribbean Sea), Venezuela. Where available each polygon has the following main attributes: country code, territory code, country name, territory name, WDPA ID, name (english and original), designation name (english and original) and type (International, National, Not Applicable, Regional), IUCN category and description (Ia: Strict Nature Reserve; Ib: Wilderness Area; II: National Park; III: Natural Monument or Feature; IV: Habitat/Species Management Area; V: Protected Landscape/ Seascape; VI: Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources; Not applicable; Not assigned; Not reported), marine location (1: predominantly marine; 2: entirely marine), area sqkm (reported, calculated), marine area sqkm (reported, calculated), status (Adopted, Designated, Established, Inscribed, Not Reported, Proposed), government type (Collaborative governance, Federal or national ministry or agency, For-profit organisations, Government-delegated management, Indigenous peoples, Individual landowners, Joint governance, Local communities, Non-profit organisations, Not Reported, Sub-national ministry or agency), ownership type (Communal, For-profit organisations, Individual landowners, Joint ownership, Multiple ownership, Non-profit organisations, Not Reported, State), management authorithy and plan info, marine/coastal location (1). For further information please visit the Protected Planet website. Compared with the previous release, this one includes the updated dataset 'WDPA_Sep2023_Public' published by the WDPA in September 2023 and it includes the marine and coastal protected areas in the Caribbean Sea.

The present layer compiles the marine regions and subregions listed in Article 4 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), together with other surrounding seas of Europe. The MSFD marine regions and subregions map was developed to support DG Environment and EU Member States in their implementation of the MSFD. It represents the current state of understanding of the marine regions and subregions and is subject to amendment in light of any new information which may be produced

The geodatabase on coastal Nuclear Power Plants was created in 2019 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). It is the result of the aggregation and harmonization of datasets provided by several EU and non-EU sources. It is available for viewing and download on the EMODnet Human Activities web portal (https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The geodatabase contains points representing nuclear power plants sites in the following countries: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and UK. Where available each point has the following attributes: EMODnet Code, Plant Name, Country, Status (Operational, Permanently shut down, Planned, Under construction), Number of Reactors, Thermal Capacity (MW), Gross Capacity (MW), Net Capacity (MW), Location (Municipality), Water Source, Latitude, Longitude. Additional informations about reactors are stored in a separated table and are related to the point feature class. Where available for each reactor the following attributes are reported: EMODnet Code, Plant Name, Status (Operational, Permanently shut down, Planned, Under construction), Type, Model, Fuel Type, Thermal Capacity (MW), Gross Capacity (MW), Net Capacity (MW), Operator, Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS), Construction Year, Construction Month, Criticality Year, Criticality Month, Connection to the Grid Year, Connection to the Grid Month, Shut Down Year, Shut Down Month. The dataset will be updated every year.

The dataset on dumped munitions in the European seas was created in 2018 by CETMAR for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). It is the result of the aggregation and harmonization of datasets provided by several sources. It is updated every year and is available for viewing and download on EMODnet web portal (Human Activities, https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The dataset contains points and/or (where available) polygons representing dumped munitions sites in the European sea basins. Each point and/or polygon has the following attributes (where available): Munition type (Conventional and/or Chemical, and/or Unknown), Munition description, Information provider, Update date and Distance to coast (metres). The distance to coast (EEA coastline shapefile) has been calculated using the UTM WGS84 Zone projected coordinate system where data fall in.

The dataset on Natura 2000 sites was created in 2014 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network. It is entirely based on spatial data from the European Environmental Agency (EEA), plus additional info, links and selected EEA data joined to the feature attributes, as well as a calculation by Cogea of marine and coastal location of features. It is available for viewing and download on EMODnet - Human Activities web portal (https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). Natura 2000 is an ecological network composed of sites designated under the Birds Directive (Special Protection Areas, SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (Sites of Community Importance, SCIs, and Special Areas of Conservation, SACs). The dataset covers the whole EU. Following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020, it ceased to be part of the EEA’s institutional networks and governance. In the webmap the EEA dataset has been filtered by Cogea to show only (i) marine sites, i.e. sites with a marine area percentage higher than 0 (as calculated by the EEA) and (ii) sites that, even if not identified as marine by the EEA, intersect the EEA coastline or that are within a distance of 1 km from the coastline (using a 1 km inner buffer from the EEA coastline). In both cases the COAST_MAR field value=1. The EEA coastline dataset is available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/eea-coastline-for-analysis-2. Compared with the previous version, this one includes the updated dataset 'Natura 2000 End 2021', published by the EEA in April 2021. For further information (e.g. biogeographic region, directive, habitats, sites, impact, management, species and metadata) please visit the EEA's website hosting the Natura 2000 tabular data.

The database on offshore Dredge dumping sites in the EU was created in 2015 by CETMAR for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). It is the result of the aggregation and harmonization of datasets provided by several sources. It is updated every year and is available for viewing and download on EMODnet Human Activities web portal (https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The database contains points and/or (where available) polygons representing offshore Dredge dumping sites in the following countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom. Each point and/or polygon has the following attributes (where available): INDEX_ID, Site name, Country, Dredge ID, Dredged material, Year of operation, Information provider, Distance to coast (m) and Distance from centroid to coast (m)(This last attribute only appears for polygon data). The distance to coast (EEA coastline shapefile) has been calculated using the UTM WGS84 Zone projected coordinate system where data fall in.

The dataset on Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA) was created in 2014 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network. This dataset is entirely based on GIS Data from the European Environmental Agency (EEA), plus additional info and selected EEA tabular data added as feature attributes, as well as the Cogea's calulation of marine and coastal location of features. It is available for viewing and download on EMODnet web portal (Human Activities, https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/human-activities). The CDDA is commonly known as 'Nationally designated areas' and it is the official source of protected areas information from the 38 European countries, members of the Eionet, to the World Database of Protected Areas (WDPA). The data are delivered by the Eionet partnership countries as spatial and tabular information. The inventory began in 1995 under the CORINE programme of the European Commission. It is now one of the agreed Eionet priority data flows maintained by EEA with support from the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity. The dataset is used by the EEA and e.g. the UNEP-WCMC for their main European and global assessments, products and services. Geographical coverage: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo (under UNSC Resolution 1244/99), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. EEA does not have permission to distribute some or all sites reported by Estonia, Ireland and Turkey. In the webmap the dataset has been filtered in order to show only marine and coastal areas. Where available each polygon has the following main attributes: CDDA ID, country code, country name, site name, legal foundation date, national ID, area type/code (Designated Boundary or Site), IUCN category/description (Ia: Strict Nature Reserve; Ib: Wilderness Area; II: National Park; III: Natural Monument or Feature; IV: Habitat/Species Management Area; V: Protected Landscape/ Seascape; VI: Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources; Not applicable; Not assigned; Not reported), area (ha), major ecosystem type (Marine, Marine and terrestrial, Terrestrial), marine area percentage, spatial resolution (Scale 100K-250K, Scale Larger 100K, Unknown), remarks, marine/coastal location (1). For further information please visit the EEA's website. Compared with the previous release, this one includes the updated dataset 'CDDA_2023_v01_public' published by the EEA in June 2023.