735ea8c9-5bb7-48a2-a41d-57e521f97ae8 dataset Marine Mapping Scientist EMODnet Seabed Habitats Marine Mapping Scientist emodnetseabedhabitats@jncc.gov.uk 2026-03-11T09:09:10.0172478Z INSPIRE Metadata Implementing Rules: Technical Guidelines based on EN ISO 19115 and EN ISO 19119 V. 1.2 22307 http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/3857 EPSG 8.1.1 Live hard coral cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters (2025) GB999002 2023-09-20 735ea8c9-5bb7-48a2-a41d-57e521f97ae8 This layer shows the current known extent and distribution of live hard coral cover in European waters, collated by EMODnet Seabed Habitats. The point and polygon layers were last updated in 2023. Lophelia pertusa and Coral gardens are both on the OSPAR List of threatened and/or declining species and habitats. The purpose was to produce a data product that would provide the best compilation of evidence for the essential ocean variable (EOV) known as Hard coral cover and composition (sub-variable: Live hard coral cover and extent), as defined by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). 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. This product was updated further 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 Hard coral cover and composition (sub-variable: Live hard coral cover and extent), as defined by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). EMODnet Seabed Habitats product (2023). Contains data from the: 1. Global Distribution of Cold-water Corals (v5.1 March 2021). Freiwald A, Rogers A, Hall-Spencer J, Guinotte JM, Davies AJ, Yesson C, Martin CS, Weatherdon LV (2021). Global distribution of cold-water corals (version 5.1). Fifth update to the dataset in Freiwald et al. (2004) by UNEP-WCMC, in collaboration with Andre Freiwald and John Guinotte. Cambridge (UK): UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Data DOI: https://doi.org/10.34892/72×9-rt61 2. Global Distribution of Coral Reefs (v4.1 March 2021). UNEP-WCMC, WorldFish Centre, WRI, TNC (2021). Global distribution of warm-water coral reefs, compiled from multiple sources including the Millennium Coral Reef Mapping Project. Version 4.1. Includes contributions from IMaRS-USF and IRD (2005), IMaRS-USF (2005) and Spalding et al. (2001). Cambridge (UK): UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Data DOI: https://doi.org/10.34892/t2wk-5t34 Marine Mapping Scientist EMODnet Seabed Habitats EMODnet Seabed Scientist emodnetseabedhabitats@jncc.gov.uk Oceanographic geographical features Habitats and biotopes GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme habitat biotope GEMET - Concepts, version 4.1.3 2023-09-20 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 3.16.5 true -70.2012 28.3588 11.1326 75.9871 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://files.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/data/LiveHardCoral_EOV_2025.zip WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download Live hard coral cover download 2025 https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_view/wms? OGC:WMS livecoral_eov_points_2025 Live hard coral cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters - points (2025) https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_view/wms? OGC:WMS livecoral_eov_poly_2025 Live hard coral cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters - polygons (2025) https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/geoviewer/?layers=12621:1:1&basemap=ebwbl&active=12621&bounds=-12271591.699366268,2801414.2736940347,8609484.810057562,12561579.899524113&filters=&projection=EPSG:3857 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link View this layer on the EMODnet Map Viewer https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_open/wfs OGC:WFS emodnet_open:livecoral_eov_points_2025 Live hard coral cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters - points (2025) https://ows.emodnet-seabedhabitats.eu/geoserver/emodnet_open/wfs OGC:WFS emodnet_open:livecoral_eov_poly_2025 Live hard coral cover (Essential Ocean Variable) in European waters - polygons (2025) 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 original point file was 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 datasets: 1. Global Distribution of Cold-water Corals (v5.1 March 2021) and Global Distribution of Coral Reefs (v4.1 March 2021). 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. This product was updated further in 2025.