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.

UNDER EMBARGO - This dataset is part of BE/2023 sampling campagn in SW Greenland fjords (Igaliku and Tunulliarfik). Samples for DNA extraction were collected along fjord transects at several depths of the water column. The focus of the study was to determine the taxonomical composotion of protist community in two Arctic fjords.

UNDER EMBARGO - This dataset is part of BE/2023 sampling campagn in SW Greenland fjords (Igaliku and Tunulliarfik) and includes measurements of pelagic community respiration to assess microbial metabolic activity across fjords with contrasting glacial influence and seasonal conditions. Pelagic community respiration rates were determined following Martínez-García et al. (2009): seawater samples (200 mL; n = 4 replicates) were incubated with INT (final concentration 0.8 mM). Control samples were fixed with formaldehyde (2% final concentration) prior to incubation. After incubation, samples were filtered (0.2 μm), and the reduced INT (formazan) retained on filters was extracted with 1-propanol. Formazan concentration was determined spectrophotometrically at 485 nm, subtracting non-metabolic absorbance from controls. INT reduction rates were calculated as μmol INTf L⁻¹ h⁻¹ and subsequently converted to O₂ consumption rates (μmol O₂ L⁻¹ h⁻¹) following Martínez-García et al. (2019).

UNDER EMBARGO - This dataset originates from the BE/2023 sampling campaign conducted in southwest Greenland fjords (Igaliku and Tunulliarfik) and quantifies grazing impacts by micro- and mesozooplankton on phytoplankton and heterotrophic microbial communities (including bacteria) in two fjord systems characterized by contrasting glacial regimes. Grazing and microbial growth rates were estimated using two-point dilution experiments (two-point dilution experiments), alongside experiments assessing mesozooplankton and copepod grazing on both phytoplankton and microzooplankton. Community responses were resolved using imaging flow cytometry, enabling the identification of plankton functional groups (autotrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic) and size classes. The dataset also includes measurements of chlorophyll a variability determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Overall, the dataset supports analyses of trophic interactions and grazing dynamics across the microbial food web under differing glacier-influenced environmental conditions.

UNDER EMBARGO - This dataset is part of BE/2023 sampling campagn in SW Greenland fjords (Igaliku and Tunulliarfik). The dataset reports the final concentrations (μg L⁻¹) of each detected photosynthetic pigment, used to infer phytoplankton functional groups and compare community composition across fjords with differing glacial influence and between seasons (spring–summer). For pigment analysis, seawater volumes ranging from 700 mL to 1 L were filtered onto 25-mm diameter Whatman GF/F filters and immediately stored at -80°C until further analysis. Pigments were extracted using 90% acetone and analysed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) following the method of Van Heukelem and Thomas (2001). Calibration was performed using pigment standards from DHI Water and Environment (Hørsholm, Denmark). In the dataset is indicated the final consentration (μg/L) of each detected photosyntetic pigment.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 5, criterion 2. This dataset contains the average of the 90th percentile chlorophyll a concentration during the growing season (march-october) in the Belgian part of the North Sea for the years 2011-2016. Chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) was generated from satellite daily data from ocean colour sensors. Data is supplied at approximately 1 km resolution on a geographical grid with equal spacing in longitude and latitude covering the described region.

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 is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 8, criterion 2. This dataset contains measurements on the 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in Limanda limanda, Imposex (OTIN in Mytilus edulis), fish diseases and counts of oiled common guillemots in the Belgian part of the North Sea.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 1, criterion 1. Stranded porpoises often show traces of incidental catch in fishing nets (bycatch), a major cause of death for this cetacean in the North Sea. Based on the number of stranded animals showing traces of bycatch, it can be estimated that up to a few dozen porpoises are caught per year. For extrapolation of bycatch data to effects at population level, reference is made to (future) initiatives at regional level.

This dataset is part of the Belgian submission for the 2018 Marine Strategic Framework Directive (MSFD) and reports on descriptor 1, criterion 6. This dataset describes the soft benthos analysis performed in the Belgian part of the North Sea between 2010 and 2016. Information on the location, date and procedure used for the sediment sampling is povided as well as the description of the species found in the samples. Based on this dataset, the Belgian MSFD reporting concluded that the benthic habitat quality is clearly lower in areas where a certain activity interferes with the environment in an intensive way.