The variables in biota_stations.csv describe the biota monitoring stations used in the 2016 assessment of the UK's Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme and that underpin seven of the indicator assessments in the UK's 2018 MSFD assessment of Descriptor 8. The column headings are:
biogeo_region
Description: biogeographic region
Discrete/continuous/categorical: categorical
Range or levels: 7 levels
Notes: Biogeographic regions used for MSFD assessment purposes; there are 8 regions in total, but only 7 with data.
CSEMP_region
Description: monitoring region
Discrete/continuous/categorical: categorical
Range or levels: 19 levels
Notes: Monitoring regions for the UK’s Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme (CSEMP); there are 22 regions in total (see pdf resource for map), but only 19 with data. The CSEMP regions are aggregated into 8 biogeographic regions for MSFD assessment purposes.
stratum
Description: subdivision of monitoring region
Discrete/continuous/categorical: categorical
Range or levels: 195 levels
Notes: Subdivisions of the CSEMP monitoring regions, most of which are WFD water bodies; there are 818 strata in total, but only 195 with data.
station
Description: station identifier
Discrete/continuous/categorical: categorical
Range or levels: 345 levels
latitude
Description: station latitude
Units: decimal degrees
Discrete/continuous/categorical: continuous
Range or levels: 50.04, 61.10
Notes: These are nominal positions: sampling occurs in a pre-defined area centred on this position.
longitude
Description: station longitude
Units: decimal degrees
Discrete/continuous/categorical: continuous
Range or levels: -7.22, 2.90
Notes: These are nominal positions: sampling occurs in a pre-defined area centred on this position.
MSTAT
Description: station type
Discrete/continuous/categorical: categorical
Range or levels: B, RH, IH
Notes:
B = Baseline stations in remote areas subject only to diffuse inputs of contaminants
RH = Representative stations broadly representative of contaminant levels in the region
IH = Impacted stations located close to a point source
WLTYP
Description: stratum typography
Discrete/continuous/categorical: categorical
Range or levels: Estuary, Coast, Open Sea
Notes:
Estuary = WFD transitional water
Coast = WFD coastal water
Open Sea = Marine water (stratum not covered by WFD)