purpose: This map shows the total organic carbon content (TOC) of surface sediments in the North Sea. It was produced by interpolation of legacy data from more than 3000 samples collected between 1960 and 2014. The distribution of this map allows the user to visualize an important marine habitat characteristic and to exploit the dataset for ecological and biogeochemical modelling. abstract: Weight percent total organic carbon (TOC) is one of the most commonly used descriptors for marine sediments. It is used to judge primary productivity of the overlying water column and refers to the amount of organic matter preserved within sediment. TOC has a major influence on biogeochemical processes occurring in sediments, including the regulation of the behavior of the other chemical species such as metals and organic pollutants. Therefore, determination of TOC is an essential component of environmental characterization analysis.This map conveys information on the weight percent TOC of seabed sediments in the North Sea. It has been produced with multivariate geostatistics (external drift kriging) using the percentage mud content as a trend variable. The underlying data set is a compilation of over 3,000 sediment samples from many national and European surveys conducted between 1960 and 2014. Due to the vintage of some samples in the database, users are advised to consider the dynamic nature of the seafloor when using the data and when creating derived surrogate based habitat maps. Also, due to the diversity of sources for the point data, users should be aware of the differing methods by which the TOC analyses were conducted. As a consequence, map confidence is not necessarily uniform and thus areas not always comparable, even though the interpolation surface may look continuous.

purpose: The map shows the median grain size (or d50) of surface sediments in the North Sea predicted by interpolation of legacy grain size distribution data. It has been produced to aid in describing physical habitat characteristics and to supply consistent baseline data and boundary conditions for ecological and biophysical modelling. abstract: In grain size analysis, the median is the midpoint of the cumulative particles size distribution curve of a sediment sample. The median grain size is an important biophysical variable that relates to sediment stability and often can be mapped with a quantifiable correspondence to the occurrence of benthic species and assemblages. This map conveys information on the median grain size of seabed sediments in the North Sea. It has been produced with multivariate geostatistics (external drift kriging) using the percentage mud content as a trend variable. The underlying data set is a compilation of over 30,000 sediment samples from many national and European surveys conducted over a period of more than 50 years. Due to the vintage of some samples in the database, users are advised to consider the dynamic nature of the seafloor when using the data and when creating derived surrogate based habitat maps. Also, due to the diversity of sources for the pointdata, users should be aware of the differing methods by which the grain size analyses were conducted. As a consequence, map confidence is not necessarily uniform and thus areas not always comparable, even though the interpolation surface my look continuous.

abstract: In grain size analysis, the proportion of particles with a diameter of less than 63 µm is commonly referred to as the mud content of a sediment sample. The mud content is an important biophysical variable that often can be mapped with a quantifiable correspondence to organic matter, contaminants and the occurrence of benthic species and assemblages. Thismap conveys information on the percentage mud content of seabedsediments in the North Sea. It has been produced with multivariate geostatistics (external drift kriging) using water depth as a trend variable. The underlying data set is a compilation of over 30,000 sediment samples from many national and Europaen surveys conducted over a period of more than 50 years. Due to the vintage of some samples in the database, users are advised to consider the dynamic nature of the seafloor when using the data and when creating derived surrogate based habitatmaps. Also, due to the diversity of sources for the pointdata, users should be aware of the differing methods by which the grain size analyses were conducted. As a consequence, map confidence is not necessarily uniform and thus areas not always comparable, even though the interpolation surface may look continuous. purpose: The map shows the percentage mud content (silt + clay) of surface sediments in the North Sea predicted by interpolation of legacy grain size distribution data. It has been produced to aid in describing physical habitat characteristics and to supply consistent baseline data and boundary conditions for ecological and biophysical modelling.

abstract: In grain size analysis, the proportion of particles with a diameter of less than 63 µm is commonly referred to as the mud content of a sediment sample. The mud content is an important biophysical variable that often can be mapped with a quantifiable correspondence to organic matter, contaminants and the occurrence of benthic species and assemblages. Thismap conveys information on the percentage mud content of seabedsediments in the North Sea. It has been produced with multivariate geostatistics (external drift kriging) using water depth as a trend variable. The underlying data set is a compilation of over 30,000 sediment samples from many national and Europaen surveys conducted over a period of more than 50 years. Due to the vintage of some samples in the database, users are advised to consider the dynamic nature of the seafloor when using the data and when creating derived surrogate based habitatmaps. Also, due to the diversity of sources for the pointdata, users should be aware of the differing methods by which the grain size analyses were conducted. As a consequence, map confidence is not necessarily uniform and thus areas not always comparable, even though the interpolation surface may look continuous. purpose: The map shows the percentage mud content (silt + clay) of surface sediments in the North Sea predicted by interpolation of legacy grain size distribution data. It has been produced to aid in describing physical habitat characteristics and to supply consistent baseline data and boundary conditions for ecological and biophysical modelling.

purpose: The map shows the median grain size (or d50) of surface sediments in the North Sea predicted by interpolation of legacy grain size distribution data. It has been produced to aid in describing physical habitat characteristics and to supply consistent baseline data and boundary conditions for ecological and biophysical modelling. abstract: In grain size analysis, the median is the midpoint of the cumulative particles size distribution curve of a sediment sample. The median grain size is an important biophysical variable that relates to sediment stability and often can be mapped with a quantifiable correspondence to the occurrence of benthic species and assemblages. This map conveys information on the median grain size of seabed sediments in the North Sea. It has been produced with multivariate geostatistics (external drift kriging) using the percentage mud content as a trend variable. The underlying data set is a compilation of over 30,000 sediment samples from many national and European surveys conducted over a period of more than 50 years. Due to the vintage of some samples in the database, users are advised to consider the dynamic nature of the seafloor when using the data and when creating derived surrogate based habitat maps. Also, due to the diversity of sources for the pointdata, users should be aware of the differing methods by which the grain size analyses were conducted. As a consequence, map confidence is not necessarily uniform and thus areas not always comparable, even though the interpolation surface my look continuous.

purpose: This map shows the total organic carbon content (TOC) of surface sediments in the North Sea. It was produced by interpolation of legacy data from more than 3000 samples collected between 1960 and 2014. The distribution of this map allows the user to visualize an important marine habitat characteristic and to exploit the dataset for ecological and biogeochemical modelling. abstract: Weight percent total organic carbon (TOC) is one of the most commonly used descriptors for marine sediments. It is used to judge primary productivity of the overlying water column and refers to the amount of organic matter preserved within sediment. TOC has a major influence on biogeochemical processes occurring in sediments, including the regulation of the behavior of the other chemical species such as metals and organic pollutants. Therefore, determination of TOC is an essential component of environmental characterization analysis.This map conveys information on the weight percent TOC of seabed sediments in the North Sea. It has been produced with multivariate geostatistics (external drift kriging) using the percentage mud content as a trend variable. The underlying data set is a compilation of over 3,000 sediment samples from many national and European surveys conducted between 1960 and 2014. Due to the vintage of some samples in the database, users are advised to consider the dynamic nature of the seafloor when using the data and when creating derived surrogate based habitat maps. Also, due to the diversity of sources for the point data, users should be aware of the differing methods by which the TOC analyses were conducted. As a consequence, map confidence is not necessarily uniform and thus areas not always comparable, even though the interpolation surface may look continuous.