<?xml version="1.0"?>
<oai_dc:dc xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd">
  <dc:title xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">Select benthic invertebrate and sediment data collected between 1969 and 2023 for an Ecological Risk-Based Approach to Facilitate Licensing Offshore Wind Development</dc:title>
  <dc:type xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">dataset</dc:type>
  <dc:identifier xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">https://portal.medin.org.uk/portal/start.php?tpc=009_CEFASc86ea621-2dea-4679-88d3-8963ae7e5c94</dc:identifier>
  <dc:description xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">The **OneBenthic** dataset contains records of benthic invertebrate 
assemblages and associated sediment particle size analyses (PSA) collected 
between 1969 and 2023 across the UK continental shelf and wider North Sea. It 
brings together harmonised information on macrofaunal abundance, biomass, and 
sediment composition derived from more than 50,000 seabed grab and core 
samples.

For this study, a quality-controlled subset of 18,348 samples was used to 
generate spatial models of three ecological risk elements: benthic sensitivity 
(based on biological traits), biodiversity, and assemblage rarity. The dataset 
supports the development of ecological risk maps and an online 
decision-support tool to inform offshore wind farm licensing and marine 
spatial planning.

Users should note that the dataset represents sedimentary habitats sampled by 
grabs and cores; results may not accurately describe rocky or hard-substrate 
environments and are not intended for navigational use.</dc:description>
  <dc:date xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">20251014 20250901</dc:date>
</oai_dc:dc>
