Compilation of 17 anthropogenic pressure gradients and 18 benthic indicators in the Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

<p>Compilation of 17 benthic datasets that sampled benthic ecosystems over gradients of commercial bottom trawling intensity (n=14), eutrophication (n=1), oxygen depletion (n=1) and pollution (n=1) (Table 1).</p> <p>Compilation of 18 benthic indicators that were calculated for each gradient dataset. The indicators estimated were community biomass, abundance, richness, relative Margalef diversity, Shannon index, Simpson index, Inverse Simpson,&nbsp; AZTI&rsquo;s Marine Biotic Index (AMBI), Multivariate AMBI (M-AMBI), BENTIX Biotic Index (BENTIX), Danish Quality Index (DKI), Trawling Disturbance Index (TDI), Modified TDI (mTDI), Modified vulnerability index (mT), Median longevity (Lm), Partial TDI (pTDI), Sentinels of Seabed (SoS), Long-lived fraction (Lf).</p> <p>The dataset has information on: 1) indicator outputs per sampling station; 2) combined data tables with gradient, station, and species information; 3) individual gradient information with replicate samples and the environmental variables reported in the original study.</p> <p>#----------------</p> <p>NOTE: The dataset was updated in February 2025 due to incorrect description of units used for two gradients (Silver Pit and Thames) in the "Individual Gradient Studies" folder.</p> <p>#---------------</p> <p>Table 1. Overview of anthropogenic gradient datasets</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <th>Location</th> <th>Sampling method</th> <th>Pressure gradient</th> </tr> </tbody> <tbody> <tr> <td>Adriatic Sea &ndash; Italian EEZ (sand)</td> <td>Rapido trawl</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Adriatic Sea &ndash; Italian EEZ (mud)</td> <td>Rapido trawl</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>North Sea - Dutch EEZ</td> <td>Box core</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>North Sea - Dogger Bank</td> <td>Hamon grab</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>North Sea - Fladen Ground</td> <td>Day grab</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>North Sea - Long Forties</td> <td>Hamon grab</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>North Sea - Silver Pit</td> <td>Box core</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>North Sea &ndash; Thames</td> <td>Box core</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Northern Iberian Coast (sand)</td> <td>Otter trawl</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Northern Iberian Coast (mud)</td> <td>Otter trawl</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Baltic Sea - Gotland</td> <td>van Veen grab</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Baltic Sea &ndash; Polish EEZ</td> <td>Box core</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>NW Atlantic - Flemish Cap</td> <td>Otter trawl</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Irish Sea - Sellafield</td> <td>Day grab</td> <td>Bottom trawling</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Gulf of Finland</td> <td>van Veen grab</td> <td>Oxygen depletion</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Saronikos Gulf</td> <td>Box core</td> <td>Eutrophication</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Vigo Estuary</td> <td>Box core</td> <td>Contaminants</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>