UNDER EMBARGO - This dataset contains seasonal physiological measurements from controlled laboratory experiments on two dominant suspension-feeding species expected to colonise floating offshore structures: the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis; AphiaID 140480) and the wrinkled barnacle (Balanus crenatus; AphiaID 106215). The measured parameters include clearance rates, respiration rates, faecal pellet production rates, and faecal pellet sinking velocities. Mussels were collected from an aquaculture longline at the Westdiep SeaFarm, while barnacles were manually retrieved from the intertidal beachhead at Raversijde (Oostende, Belgium). All experiments were conducted using natural seawater collected from offshore sites in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Measurements were repeated across multiple seasons to capture temporal variability in physiological performance. The dataset was produced within the SWiM and EcoMPV projects and is suitable for reuse in ecosystem and biogeochemical modelling, including simulations of phytoplankton dynamics associated with large-scale offshore marine photovoltaic (MPV) developments.

This dataset represents the location of the Princess Elizabeth zone in the Belgian Part of the North Sea as described in the Royal Decree of May 22th, 2019, establishing a marine spatial plan for the period 2020-2026. Art. 8. § 3.

The Royal Decree of 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 6 measuring poles: Measuring pole MOW.0 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.1 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.2 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.3 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole MOW.4 (Art. 21§2), Measuring pole Westhinder (Art. 21§2). It replaces the 2014 Marine Spatial Plan, which is included for completeness. The Royal Decree of 20 March 2014 establishing a marine spatial plan defines in its Art. 15. §3, one set of measuring pole locations. These locations are made available digitally in the resource described by this metadata document. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette (\"Moniteur belge/Belgisch Staatsblad\") for official reference information.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 6, criterion 1. This dataset describes and maps the the physical loss of the seabed in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) in the period 2011-2016. The dataset combines the different human activities responsible for a loss of seabed, including wrecks, measuring piles and radar stations, pipelines, power and telecommunication cables with their rock dump, and wind farms. The area lost is mapped and quantified per year, per activity and per benthic broad habitat.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 1, criterion 2. The Raja clavata dataset describes the results of the Offshore Beam Trawl Surveys (BTS) in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) between 2010 and 2017. Occurrences of Raja Clavata, along with dates and locations, are reported. The codes used in the attached file are based on the ICES DATRAS (Database of Trawl Surveys) standard. The seabirds dataset describes the density of seabirds (N birds/km) observed in the BPNS between 1987 and 2016 (three surveys a year).

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.

The Royal Decree of 22 May 2019 establishing a marine spatial plan defines 12 sand and gravel extraction zones: Sand and gravel exploitation sector 1a (Thorntonbank) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 2br (Buiten Ratel) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 2kb (Kwintebank) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 2od (Oostdyck) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 3a (Sierra Ventana) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 3b (Sierra Ventana) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4a (Noordhinder) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4b (Oosthinder-noord) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4c (Oosthinder-zuid) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 4d (Westhinder) (Art. 15§1), Sand and gravel exploitation sector 5 (Blighbank) (Art. 15§1), Zone for research of the potential of the exploration and exploitation of sand and gravel (Art. 15§4). It replaces the 2014 Marine Spatial Plan, which is included for completeness.. The Royal Decree of 20 March 2014 establishing a marine spatial plan defines in its Art. 11., eleven Management zones with regards to sand and gravel extraction: ten sand and gravel exploitation zones (Thorntonbank, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 1a, Kwintebank, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 2kb, Buiten Ratel, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 2br, Oostdyck, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 2od, Sierra Ventana, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 3a, Sierra Ventana, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 3b, Noord Hinder, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4a, Oosthinder-noord, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4b, Oosthinder-zuid, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4c, Westhinder, Art. 11 § 1 Sector 4d) and one reference zone for monitoring impact of windmills and sand exploitation (Art. 11 § 3). These zones are made available digitally in the resource described by this metadata document. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette (\"Moniteur belge/Belgisch Staatsblad\") for official reference information.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 8, criterion 3. This dataset gives an overview of the observed slicks during aerial survey operations of the Belgian part of the North Sea (2011-2016). Related to significant acute pollution, it includes the observations linked to the Flinterstar incident in 2015. Besides this, all observations of illegal discharges of MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) annex I and II substances are included as an additional dataset.

This dataset represents the exact location of active telecommunication cables (verified in 2010) installed in the Belgian Part of the North Sea.

The Scientific Service Management Unit of the Mathematical Model of the North Sea of the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences has been operating monitoring stations on the Belgian Part of the North Sea since the 1970s. These stations are located in the Scheldt estuary, at open sea and in coastal waters. In 2007, 10 new stations were designated and were placed in the monitoring network needed for the OSPAR convention, the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategic Framework Directive. These replaced a series of 54 previous monitoring stations whose data was gathered throughout the years for the Belgian Monitoring Programme and reported according to the recommendations of the OSPAR Convention. This dataset contains information on all monitoring stations ever used by the Scientific Service Management Unit of the Mathematical Model of the North Sea. The dataset provides location, name, operational history and for which reporting obligations they are used.