39746d9c-4220-425c-bc26-7cb3056c36a5 dataset Marine Mapping Scientist EMODnet Seabed Habitats Marine Mapping Scientist EMODnetSeabedHabitats@ifremer.fr 2026-03-11T09:16:18.1584011Z INSPIRE Metadata Implementing Rules: Technical Guidelines based on EN ISO 19115 and EN ISO 19119 V. 1.2 100000 http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/3857 EPSG 8.1.1 Seagrass cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters (2025) GB999003 2025-10-03 39746d9c-4220-425c-bc26-7cb3056c36a5 This layer shows the current known extent and distribution of Seagrass meadows in European waters, collated by EMODnet Seabed Habitats. The point and polygon layers were updated in 2023, and most recently in 2025. The purpose was to produce a data product that would provide the best compilation of evidence for the essential ocean variable (EOV) known as Seagrass cover and composition (sub-variable: Areal extent of seagrass meadows), as defined by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Seagrasses provide essential habitat and nursery areas for many marine fauna. There are approximately 72 seagrass species that belong to four major groups: Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Posidoniaceae and Cymodoceaceae. Zostera beds and Cymodecea meadows are named on the OSPAR Threatened or Declining Habitats list. Posidonia beds are protected under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive. The geographic extent of this product was extended in 2023 to include jurisdictional waters (including continental shelf and claimed extended continental shelf) of EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK) and Norway including areas in the Caribbean Sea. The purpose was to produce a data product that would provide the best compilation of evidence for the essential ocean variable (EOV) known as Seagrass cover and composition (sub-variable: Areal extent of seagrass meadows), as defined by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). EMODnet Seabed Habitats product (2023). Contains data from the Global Distribution of Seagrasses (v7.1 March 2021). UNEP-WCMC, Short FT (2021). Global distribution of seagrasses (version 7.1). Seventh update to the data layer used in Green and Short (2003). Cambridge (UK): UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Data DOI: https://doi.org/10.34892/x6r3-d211 Marine Mapping Scientist EMODnet Seabed Habitats Marine Mapping Scientist emodnetseabedhabitats@jncc.gov.uk Habitats and biotopes Oceanographic geographical features GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme habitat biotope GEMET - Concepts, version 4.1.3 2019-01-28 no limitations to public access Data is available under a creative commons attribution-NonCommercial licence (CC BY-NC 4.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). biota geoscientificInformation oceans Microsoft Windows 7 Version 6.1 (Build 7601) Service Pack 1; QGIS Desktop 3.16.5 true -70.1414 38.1597 11.00 70.4943 2019-01-01 Esri Shapefile ArcGIS Version 10.0 0.334 https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/sites/emodnet.ec.europa.eu/files/public/c20190514_generating_eovs.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link O'Keefe, E., Lillis, H. 2019. Generating Essential Ocean Variables. EMODnet report Report describing the creation of the polygon portion of this data product. https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/sites/emodnet.ec.europa.eu/files/public/d304_eov-report.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Lillis, H 2021. A combined, harmonized data product showing the best evidence for the distribution of 3 essential ocean variables in Europe. EMODnet report Report describing the creation of the point portion of this data product https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_open/wfs? OGC:WFS seagrass_eov_points_2025 Seagrass cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters (2025) - Points Data https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_view/wms? OGC:WMS seagrass_eov_points_2025 Seagrass cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters (2025) - Points Data https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_view/wms? OGC:WMS seagrass_eov_poly_2025 Seagrass cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters (2025) - Polygon Data https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_open/wfs? OGC:WFS seagrass_eov_poly_2025 Seagrass cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters (2025) - Polygon Data https://files.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/data/SeagrassBeds_EOV_2025.zip WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download EMODnet Seabed Habitats download https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/geoviewer/?layers=12625:1:1&basemap=ebwbl&active=12625&bounds=-15143188.804734685,1082806.6888501532,5737887.704689144,10842972.314680232&filters=&projection=EPSG:3857 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link View this layer on the EMODnet Map Viewer Bildstein, T., Fiorentino, D., Günther, C.P., Pesch, R., Rückert, P., Schröder, W., Schuchardt, B. (2014) Cluster 6 Biotopkartierung: Endberichtsentwurf – Teil Nordsee. – (unveröff. Bericht i. A. des Bundesamtes für Naturschutz (BfN) Bildstein, T., Fiorentino, D., Günther, C.P., Pesch, R., Rückert, P., Schröder, W., Schuchardt, B. (2014) Cluster 6 Biotopkartierung: Endberichtsentwurf – Teil Nordsee. – (unveröff. Bericht i. A. des Bundesamtes für Naturschutz (BfN) 2014-10-01 Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services true This data product is a work in progress. The original polygon file was produced by the 2017-2019 EMODnet Seabed Habitats consortium and the method is described in O'Keefe and Lillis (2019). The point file was first produced by the 2019-2021 EMODnet Seabed Habitats consortium and the method is described in Lillis (2021). Both layers were last updated in 2023 using a combination of data extracted from the EMODnet Seabed Habitat database (May 2023) and the UNEP-WCMC dataset: Global Distribution of Seagrasses. Only a subset of the UNEP-WCMC datasets were used in this product, namely in the areas of interest in the Caribbean Sea. The products were clipped to these areas and then combined with the EMODnet Seabed Habitats data. The attributes were amended to remove many fields that are redundant for this data layer e.g. taxonomic fields and areas. Information about the citation (renamed source) and the dataset IDs and habitat have been retained. Where overlaps in polygons occured preference was given to the habitat maps from survey collated by EMODnet Seabed Habitats. The layers were updated again in 2025.