This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 1, criterion 1. It reports the mortality rate of marine mammals, in particular harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), from incidental bycatch in the Belgian part of the North Sea, combining strandings investigations, reported incidental catches and aerial abundance surveys.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 1, criterion 2. It originates from the ICES DATRAS (Database of Trawl Surveys), which compiles standardised bottom trawl survey data collected from various European waters; for this indicator, the Belgian Beam Trawl Survey (BTS) data from the North Sea were used. The dataset includes species abundance, length and age distributions, catch per unit effort, and environmental parameters, providing key insights on the population abundance of thornback ray (Raja clavata) and lesser-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) for stock assessment and fisheries management.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 1, criterion 6. This dataset reports on phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS), including community composition, diversity, biomass and abundance, as an indicator of pelagic habitat condition.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 8, criterion 4. This dataset reports the proportion of oiled Common Guillemots (Uria aalge) among stranded seabirds along the Belgian coast, as an indicator of acute oil pollution (environmental target: average proportion of oiled guillemots below 10% of the total found dead or dying on the beaches).

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 8, criterion 2. This dataset reports the prevalence of external fish diseases in dab (Limanda limanda) in the Belgian part of the North Sea, as an indicator of the adverse effects of contaminants.

Beach Litter count data collected across 10 beaches of the Belgian coast in 2023 and 2024 by volunteers of the citizen science association Proper Strand Lopers. One of the key indicators of abundance, composition and trends of litter in the marine environment is the amount on beaches. OSPAR monitors litter on 100m stretches at over 70 beaches in the North-East Atlantic following common monitoring guidelines. The monitoring records litter in 112 predefined litter items in 11 types: Plastic / polystyrene, Metal, Paper and cardboard, Wood, Sanitary waste, Cloth, Rubber, Glass, Pottery/ceramics, Medical waste and Faeces.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 9, criterion 1. The dataset contains the results of analyses on raw fish, molluscs and crustacean samples originating from the southern North Sea and the Channel and taken as part of the control programme by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain in the period 2016-2021. The analyzed substances are metals (cadmium, mercury and lead), dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs, PCBs, PAHs, PFAS, Cesium 134 and Cesium 137.

This dataset contains marine organic matter source samples, artificial mixtures of known composition, and compound-specific nitrogen stable isotope data of amino acids (δ¹⁵N-AA). Source materials include phytoplankton, zooplankton, and faecal pellets from the marine fouling species Mytilus edulis and Metridium senile. Samples were collected and processed in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Artificial mixtures were prepared by combining source materials in defined proportions to generate experimental samples representing multiple marine organic matter source combinations. Metadata describing sample collection, preparation, and mixture composition are included. Compound-specific nitrogen isotope ratios of individual amino acids were measured using stable isotope analysis. The dataset includes isotopic measurements for all source samples and artificial mixtures, along with associated metadata required to document sampling, laboratory preparation, and analytical procedures.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 3, criteria 1, 2 and 3. It provides the fishing mortality rate, spawning stock biomass and population age/size distribution of commercially-exploited fish and shellfish in the Belgian part of the North Sea, combining fishery-independent survey data (Beam Trawl Survey and Demersal Young Fish Survey) with fishery-dependent observer-at-sea data collected under the Common Fisheries Policy Data Collection Framework. ICES provides the resulting scientific advice to the governments and international regulatory bodies that manage the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 1, criterion 3. Occurrence of breeding seabirds describes the observation of eight seabird species (Common tern, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Small Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged gull, Big Stern and Little Stern) on the Belgian coast between 1992 and 2015.