2022 CSEMP Biota Regional Results

The file biota_regional_results.csv contains the results of the regional assessments of status and trends in contaminants and biological effects in biota in the 2022 assessment of the UK's Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (CSEMP). The results are based on summary measures of trend and stutus from individual timeseries models which can be found in biota_regional_data.csv. These in turn are based on data extracted from the MERMAN database on 11 January 2023 (supplemented by micronucleated cell and fish disease index data provided by the Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science). Details of the modelling procedures can be found in the regional assessment reports listed below.

The regional assessments are the basis for the biota component of the following Descriptor 8 Indicators in the UK's 2025 Marine Strategy Assessment:
* Status and Trends of Metals (including lead, cadmium and mercury) in Biota and Sediment
* Status and Trends in Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Biota and Sediment
* Status and Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Biota and Sediment
* Status and Trends of Polybrominated Diphenylethers (PBDEs) in Biota and Sediment
* Status and Trends in the Levels of Imposex in Marine Gastropods
* Biological effects (EROD enzyme activity) in fish
* Biological effects (micronucleus) of contaminants in fish
* External Fish Disease

There are also regional assessments using human health thresholds for metals, PAHs, PCBs and PBDEs. Full details can be found in the links below:
* regional assessment of metal concentrations in biota (health)
* regional assessment of PAH concentrations in biota (health)
* regional assessment of PCB concentrations in biota (health)
* regional assessment of PBDE concentrations in biota (health)

The file biota_regional_results.csv is UTF-8-BOM encoded so can be read directly into Excel, or into R using the function read.csv with the argument fileEncoding = “UTF-8-BOM”.

The data mostly relate to chemical concentrations and the variable descriptions are written with that in mind. Any differences are usually related to imposex time series and these are detailed in the notes accompanying each variable.

The variables in the file are:

MSFD_subregion
Description: Marine Strategy Framework Directive subregion
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Greater North Sea, Celtic Seas
Note: in the map of biogeographic regions the Greater North Sea comprises the Northern North Sea, Southern North Sea, and Eastern Channel, whilst the Celtic Seas comprises the Western Channel and Celtic Sea, Irish Sea, Minches and Western Scotland, Scottish Continental Shelf, and Atlantic North-West Approaches.

biogeographic_region
Description: biogeographic region
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Northern North Sea, Southern North Sea, Eastern Channel, Western Channel & Celtic Sea, Irish Sea, Minches & Western Scotland
Notes:
* regional assessments are conducted at the biogeographic regional scale
* there are 8 biogeographic regions but only 6 with sufficient data for regional assessments

determinand_group
Description: contaminant or biological effect group
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Metals, PAH parent compounds, PAH metabolites, Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, Polychlorinated biphenyls, Imposex, Biological effects (other)
Note:

determinand
Description: contaminant or biological effect
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 46
Notes:
* see ICES reference codes for PARAM
* PAH is the code used for the regional assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, based on NAP, ACNLE, ACNE, FLE, PA, ANT, DBT, FLU, PYR, BAA, CHR, BAP, BEP, BBKF, DBAHA, PER, BGHIP and ICDP
* np_PCB is the code used for the regional assessment of non-planar polychlorinated biphenyls, based on CB28, CB52, CB101, CB138, CB153 and CB180
* PBDE is the code used for the regional assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, based on BDE28, BDE47, BDE66, BDE85, BDE99, BD100, BD153, BD154 and BD183
* SBDE6 is the code used for the sum of BDE28, BDE47, BDE99, BD100, BD153 and BD154
* FDI is the code used for the fish disease index

trend_est
Description: the estimate of the regional trend
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: -18, 7.51
Notes:
* contaminants, PAH metabolites, EROD and micronucleated cells: trend_est is the estimated regional yearly change in log concentration in the last 20 years, multiplied by 100; it can loosely be interpreted as the percentage yearly change in concentration in the last 20 years; values below / above 0 indicate a decreasing / increasing trend
* fish disease index: trend_est is the estimated regional yearly change in index in the last 20 years
* imposex: trend_est is the estimated regional odds ratio of the VDS of an individual being above the EAC in one year relative to the previous year; values below / above 1 indicate a decreasing / increasing trend

trend_se
Description: the standard error of trend_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.05, 4.14
Note:

trend_lcl
Description: the lower (two-sided) 95% confidence limit of trend_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: -23, 4.15
Note:

trend_ucl
Description: the upper (two-sided) 95% confidence limit of trend_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: -14, 11.3
Note:

trend
Description: a summary of the regional trend
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: up, down, stable
Notes:
* up: significant (p < 0.05) increase in concentration in the last 20 years
* down: significant (p < 0.05) decrease in concentration in the last 20 years
* stable: no significant (p > 0.05) change in concentration in the last 20 years

status_BAC_est
Description: the estimate of regional status compared to the Background Assessment Concentration (BAC)
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: -1.9, 5.1
Notes:
* contaminants, PAH metabolites, EROD and micronucleated cells: status_BAC_est is the estimated mean log(concentration / BAC) in the biogeographic_region in the most recent monitoring year (2021); a value above / below 0 indicates that the mean concentration in the biogeographic_region* is above / below the BAC
* fish disease index: status_BAC_est is the estimated mean (index - BAC) in the biogeographic_region in the most recent monitoring year (2021); a value above / below 0 indicates that the mean concentration in the biogeographic_region* is above / below the BAC
* imposex: status_BAC_est is the estimated mean sqrt(VDS / BAC) in the biogeographic_region in the most recent monitoring year (2021); a value above / below 1 indicates that the mean VDS in the biogeographic_region* is above / below the BAC

status_BAC_se
Description: the standard error of status_BAC_se
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.13, 0.99
Note:

status_BAC_ucl
Description: the upper (one-sided) 95% confidence limit of status_BAC_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: -1.4, 5.96
Note:

CR_BAC_est
Description: the estimate of the regional BAC contaminant ratio
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.16, 164
Notes:
* contaminants, PAH metabolites, EROD and micronucleated cells: CR_BAC_est is the estimated regional mean concentration relative to the BAC, given by exp(status_BAC_est)
* fish disease index: CR_BAC_est is the estimated regional mean index relative to the BAC, given by (status_BAC_est / BAC) + 1
* imposex: CR_BAC_est is the estimated regional mean VDS relative to the BAC, given by status_BAC_est$^2$

CR_BAC_ucl
Description: the upper (one-sided) 95% confidence limit of CR_BAC_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.25, 388
Notes:
* contaminants, PAH metabolites, EROD and micronucleated cells: CR_BAC_ucl = exp(status_BAC_ucl)
* fish disease index: CR_BAC_ucl = (status_BAC_ucl / BAC) + 1
* imposex: CR_BAC_ucl = status_BAC_ucl$^2$
* CR_BAC_ucl is used for the formal assessment of regional environmental status (see status_env); if CR_BAC_ucl is below 1, concentrations in the region are said to be at background levels.

status_EAC_est
Description: the estimate of regional status compared to the Environmental Assessment Criterion (EAC) or equivalent
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: -9.3, 1.92
Notes:
* contaminants, PAH metabolites, EROD and micronucleated cells: status_EAC_est is the estimated mean log(concentration / EAC) in the biogeographic_region in the most recent monitoring year (2021); a value above / below 0 indicates that the mean concentration in the biogeographic_region* is above / below the EAC
* fish disease index: status_EAC_est is the estimated mean (index - EAC) in the biogeographic_region in the most recent monitoring year (2021); a value above / below 0 indicates that the mean concentration in the biogeographic_region* is above / below the EAC
* imposex: status_EAC_est is the estimated mean sqrt(VDS / EAC) in the biogeographic_region in the most recent monitoring year (2021); a value above / below 1 indicates that the mean VDS in the biogeographic_region* is above / below the EAC

status_EAC_se
Description: the standard error of status_EAC_se
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.062, 1.03
Note:

status_EAC_ucl
Description: the upper (one-sided) 95% confidence limit of status_EAC_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: -8.9, 2.1
Note:

CR_EAC_est
Description: the estimate of the regional EAC contaminant ratio
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.000088, 6.83
Notes:
* contaminants, PAH metabolites, EROD and micronucleated cells: CR_EAC_est is the estimated regional mean concentration relative to the EAC, given by exp(status_EAC_est)
* fish disease index: CR_EAC_est is the estimated regional mean index relative to the EAC, given by (status_EAC_est / EAC) + 1
* imposex: CR_EAC_est is the estimated regional mean VDS relative to the EAC, given by status_EAC_est$^2$
* CR_EAC_est is the value passed into the CHASE integrated assessment (see CHASE)

CR_EAC_ucl
Description: the upper (one-sided) 95% confidence limit of CR_EAC_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.00013, 8.18
Notes:
* contaminants, PAH metabolites, EROD and micronucleated cells: CR_EAC_ucl = exp(status_EAC_ucl)
* fish disease index: CR_EAC_ucl = (status_EAC_ucl / EAC) + 1
* imposex: CR_EAC_ucl = status_EAC_ucl$^2$
* CR_EAC_ucl is used for the formal assessment of regional environmental status (see status_env); if CR_EAC_ucl is below 1, concentrations in the region are said to be at acceptable environmental levels

status_HAC_est
Description: the estimate of regional status compared to the human Health Assessment Criterion (HAC)
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: -3.4, 2.77
Notes:
* contaminants: status_HAC_est is the estimated mean log(concentration / HAC) in the biogeographic_region in the most recent monitoring year (2021); a value above / below 0 indicates that the mean concentration in the biogeographic_region* is above / below the HAC
* PAH metabolites, EROD, micronucleated cells, fish disease index and imposex: there are no HAC

status_HAC_se
Description: the standard error of status_HAC_se
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.14, 0.59
Note:

status_HAC_ucl
Description: the upper (one-sided) 95% confidence limit of status_HAC_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: -3.1, 3.15
Note:

CR_HAC_est
Description: the estimate of the regional HAC contaminant ratio
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.032, 16
Notes:
* contaminants: CR_HAC_est is the estimated regional mean concentration relative to the HAC, given by exp(status_HAC_est)
* PAH metabolites, EROD, micronucleated cells, fish disease index and imposex: there are no HAC

CR_HAC_ucl
Description: the upper (one-sided) 95% confidence limit of CR_HAC_est
Unit:
Type: continuous
Range: 0.047, 23.4
Notes:
* contaminants: CR_HAC_ucl = exp(status_HAC_ucl)
* PAH metabolites, EROD, micronucleated cells, fish disease index and imposex: there are no HAC
* CR_HAC_ucl is used for the formal assessment of regional health status (see status_health); if CR_HAC_ucl is below 1, concentrations in the region are said to be at acceptable levels for human health

status_env
Description: a summary of the regional environmental status
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: blue, green, red, orange
Notes:
* blue: the regional BAC contaminant ratio is significantly below 1 (p < 0.05)
* green: the regional EAC contaminant ratio is significantly below 1 (p < 0.05)
* red: the regional EAC contaminant ratio is not significantly below 1 (p > 0.05)
* orange: the regional BAC contaminant ratio is not significantly below 1 (p > 0.05) and there is no EAC or equivalent

status_health
Description: a summary of the regional health status
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: green, red
Notes:
* green: the regional HAC contaminant ratio is significantly below 1 (p < 0.05)
* red: the regional HAC contaminant ratio is not significantly below 1 (p > 0.05)

CHASE
Description: whether CR_EAC_est contributes to the CHASE integrated assessment
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: no, yes
Note: see details of the CHASE integrated assessment

biota_regional_results.csv

Data Preview: Note that by default the preview only displays up to 100 records. Use the pager to flip through more records or adjust the start and end fields to display the number of records you wish to see.

Field	Value
mimetype	text/csv
filesize	49.03 KB
resource type	file upload
timestamp	Jun 02, 2025

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