The variables in sediment_summaries.csv describe summary measures of status and trends for contaminant timeseries in sediment. The summary measures are used to construct the National Performance Framework Clean Seas Indicator 2019. They are also used for the assessment of the status and trends of selected contaminant groups for Scotland's Marine Assessment 2020. The column headers are:

seriesID
Description: timeseries identifier
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 617
Note: the raw data for each timeseries can be found in sediment_data.csv

region
Description: assessment region
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 4
Note: the regions are the Scottish component of the biogeographic regions used for Charting Progress 2 and for UK MSFD reporting purposes. There are 5 regions in Scottish waters, but there are no stations in the Atlantic North-West Approaches because it is difficult to sample. The Northern North Sea, Minches and Western Scotland and Irish Sea (Clyde & Solway) are used in the Clean Seas Indicator. The Scottish Continental Shelf is not used in the Indicator because it is difficult to get sufficient spatial coverage for regional assessments for both biota and sediment.

station
Description: station identifier
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 34
Note:

latitude
Description: station latitude
Unit: decimal degrees
Type: continuous
Range: 54.77, 60.04
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: -7.01, 0.91
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

group
Description: contaminant group
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: BDE, CB, metal, PAH.parent
Note:
BDE = polybrominated diphenyl ethers
CB = polychlorinated biphenyls
PAH.parent = parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

determinand
Description: contaminant
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: 26
Note: see ICES reference codes for PARAM

last_year
Description: last year with monitoring data
Unit:
Type: integer
Range: 2013, 2018
Note:

status
Description: the estimated (natural) logarithm of the mean concentration in the last monitoring year
Unit: log mg/kg dw (metals), log ug/kg dw (organics)
Type: continuous
Range: -4.2, 6.51
Note:

se_status
Description: the standard error on the estimated log mean concentration in the last monitoring year
Unit: log mg/kg dw (metals), log ug/kg dw (organics)
Type: continuous
Range: 0.035, 1.56
Note:

EAC_id
Description: the identifier of the EAC measure or its equivalent
Unit:
Type: categorical
Levels: EAC, ERL, FEQG
Note:
EAC = Environmental Assessment Criterion
ERL = Effects Range Low
FEQG = Federal Environmental Quality Guideline

EAC
Description: the value of the EAC or its equivalent
Unit: mg/kg dw (metals), ug/kg dw (organics)
Type: continuous
Range: 0.15, 1100
Note:

status_EAC
Description: the log ratio of the estimated mean concentration in the last monitoring year to the EAC (or its equivalent)
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: -11, 1.45
Note: a value above / below 0 indicates that the estimated mean concentration in the final monitoring year is above / below the EAC; the standard error is given by the variable se_status

BAC
Description: the Background Assessment Concentration (BAC)
Unit: mg/kg dw (metals), ug/kg dw (organics)
Type: continuous
Range: 0.05, 103
Note:

status_BAC
Description: the log ratio of the estimated mean concentration in the last monitoring year to the BAC
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: -3.1, 8.31
Note: a value above / below 0 indicates that the estimated mean concentration in the final monitoring year is above / below the BAC; the standard error is given by the variable se_status

trend
Description: the estimated yearly change in log concentration
Unit: log mg/kg dw/y (metals), log ug/kg dw/y (organics)
Type: continuous
Range: -35, 34.8
Note:

se_trend
Description: the standard error on the estimated yearly change in log concentration
Unit: dimensionless
Type: continuous
Range: 0.6, 28.1
Note: