The variables in biota_stations.csv describe the biota monitoring stations used in the 2017 assessment of the UK's Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme. The column headings are:

biogeo_region
Description: biogeographic region
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 7
Note: biogeographic regions used for MSFD reporting purposes; there are 8 regions in total but only 7 with data

CSEMP_region
Description: monitoring region
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 19
Note: 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
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 147
Note: subdivisions of the CSEMP monitoring regions, most of which are WFD water bodies; there are 818 strata in total, but only 147 with data

station
Description: station identifier
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 246
Note:

latitude
Description: station latitude
Unit: decimal degrees
Type: continuous
Range: 50.11, 61.1
Note: these are nominal positions: sampling occurs in a pre-defined area centred on this position.

longitude
Description: station longitude
Unit: decimal degrees
Type: continuous
Range: -7.22, 2.9
Note: these are nominal positions: sampling occurs in a pre-defined area centred on this position.

MSTAT
Description: station type
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: B, RH, I
Note:
B = baseline stations in remote areas subject only to diffuse inputs of contaminants
RH = representative stations broadly representative of contaminant levels in the region
I = impacted stations located close to a point source

WLTYP
Description: stratum typography
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: Estuary, Coast, Open Sea
Note:
Estuary = WFD transitional water
Coast = WFD coastal water
Open Sea = marine water (stratum not covered by WFD)