Description: Analyzing historic cruise data for microplastics is an effective way to create baseline level understanding of microplastic pollution through time. This study analyzed 112 benthic specimens gut contents for ingestion of microplastics. These specimens were collected as part of a research cruise on the RRS Discovery D340b from 26 June to 4 July 2009 as part of the Oceans 2025 programme, the cruise Chief Scientist being Mark Inall. Out of the 112 specimens dissected, only 9 contained microplastic samples. These samples were photographed and their microplastic signatures were analysed using Raman Spectroscopy.

Description: In this data set, we provide environmental (coordinates, depth, temperature, salinity, type of substrate, demersal fisheries) and biological data (sponge morphotype density and sponge morphotype size) from seabed images collected using a towed camera in the sponge belt located in the Faroe-Shetland Channel Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area.

Description: In this data set, we provide environmental (coordinates, depth, temperature, salinity, type of substrate, demersal fisheries) and biological data (sponge morphotype density and sponge morphotype size) from seabed images collected using a towed camera in the sponge belt located in the Faroe-Shetland Channel Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area.

Description: We used environmental niche modelling along with the best available species occurrence data and environmental parameters to model habitat suitability for key cold-water coral and commercially important deep-sea fish species under present-day (1951-2000) environmental conditions and to forecast changes under severe, high emissions future (2081-2100) climate projections (RCP8.5 scenario) for the North Atlantic Ocean (from 18°N to 76°N and 36°E to 98°W). The VME indicator taxa included Lophelia pertusa , Madrepora oculata, Desmophyllum dianthus, Acanela arbuscula, Acanthogorgia armata, and Paragorgia arborea. The six deep-sea fish species selected were: Coryphaenoides rupestris, Gadus morhua, blackbelly Helicolenus dactylopterus, Hippoglossoides platessoides, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, and Sebastes mentella. We used an ensemble modelling approach employing three widely-used modelling methods: the Maxent maximum entropy model, Generalized Additive Models, and Random Forest. This dataset contains: 1) Predicted habitat suitability index under present-day (1951-2000) and future (2081-2100; RCP8.5) environmental conditions for twelve deep-sea species in the North Atlantic Ocean, using an ensemble modelling approach.  2) Climate-induced changes in the suitable habitat of twelve deep-sea species in the North Atlantic Ocean, as determined by binary maps built with an ensemble modelling approach and the 10-percentile training presence logistic (10th percentile) threshold. 3) Forecasted present-day suitable habitat loss (value=-1), gain (value=1), and acting as climate refugia (value=2) areas under future (2081-2100; RCP8.5) environmental conditions for twelve deep-sea species in the North Atlantic Ocean. Areas were identified from binary maps built with an ensemble modelling approach and two thresholds: 10-percentile training presence logistic threshold (10th percentile) and maximum sensitivity and specificity (MSS). Refugia areas are those areas predicted as suitable both under present-day and future conditions. All predictions were projected with the Albers equal-area conical projection centred in the middle of the study area. The grid cell resolution is of 3x3 km.

Description: This data is showing the outcomes of the analysis done by ATLAS researchers on the environmental status of nine deep-sea areas in the northeast Atlantic. These results are part of the ATLAS work facilitating the implementation of the European Commission's Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the deep waters of the North Atlantic. The nine study areas that were examined are: 1) LoVe Ocean Observatory, 2) Faroe-Shetland Channel, 3) Reykjanes Ridge, 4) Rockall Bank, 5) Mingulay Reef Complex, 6) Porcupine Seabight, 7) Bay of Biscay, 8) Azores, 9) Gulf of Cádiz. The analyses were carried out using the Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool (NEAT). The environmental status outcomes are shown for the total study area, the designated spatial assessment units (SAUs), the ecosystem components ("Benthic invertebrates", "Fish", "Benthos") and the habitats ("Aggregations of L. pertusa & M. oculata on soft sediments", "Aggregations of sea pens & alcyonaceans on soft sediments", "Aggregations of L. pertusa & M. oculata on hard substrates", "Aggregations of Antipatharians and alcyonaceans on hard substrates", "Benthic", "Rocky", "Sedimentary").

Description: These data aim to evaluate the spatial overlap between human activities and the key areas utilised by cetaceans within Bermuda's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Raster and vector layers were collated through online sources and engaging with those working on Bermuda's Marine Spatial Plan. Human use layers include the key regions for shipping, fishing, and tourism operations. Novel shapefiles of cetacean distribution were generated using the participatory Geographic Information System (GIS) platform 'SeaSketch'. Eight experts from three industries (research, whale-watching, and charter boating) contributed to the dataset and created layers based on 〉20 years knowledge of where Bermuda's cetaceans are distributed. Layers of four cetacean species were generated: humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostrus) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). For the humpback whales, four merged shapefiles exist demonstrating the key areas for various behaviours and/or habitats that have been observed. These include shallow areas between reefs (known as sand holes) where humpbacks are often observed, and areas where they have been observed singing, resting, and engaging in active behaviours. A total overlap of all gathered cetacean layers exists in a raster format to highlight the most diverse regions in Bermuda. Free online data sources of cetacean migrations sightings are also included, which date between 1785-2022. Online data from the World Bank shows the global densities of Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals from various vessels between Jan-2015 and Feb-2021. A proximity analysis was done on this raster within the cetacean layers to show whether shipping concentrations are high within key cetacean areas and thus cause a significant threat. This information was gathered to analyse whether the International Maritime Organization (IMO) could implement a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) to regulate vessel traffic. The dataset was created using QGIS version 3.22.8 Białowieża under Work Package 3 of the EU H2020 project 'iAtlantic'.

Description: Obtaining a comprehensive knowledge of the spatial variation of deep-sea benthic ecosystems is essential for conservation and management purposes. Here we assembled publicly available information on the positions of vulnerable marine ecosystem indicator species from public databases (OBIS, NOAA and ICES), the published literature and from focused efforts from the Logachev Mounds (NE Atlantic), Tropic Seamount (NE tropical Atlantic) and Bermuda for depths below 200 m. Taxa included hexacorals, octocorals, hydroids, sponges, hydrothermal vents associated species (bivalves, decapods), crinoids and xenophyophores.

Description: Modelled demographic parameters of North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) visiting Bermuda are provided for every year from 2011 to 2010. The data set was constructed to determine abundance and abundance trends of humpback whales visiting Bermuda, a migratory stopover. Photographs of the ventral side of humpback whale tail flukes were taken during dedicated vessel-based surveys between December and May each year between 2010 and 2020, and were daily whenever possible (weather-permitting). Surveys followed a haphazard regime to maximize encounters with whales and focused spatially on the southwestern Bermuda Platform and the Challenger Bank seamount*. Surveys were conducted in closing mode; whales were approached and photographed on detection, and a focal follow was conducted at each encounter. Images of suitable quality were used for individual photo-identification via scarring patterns and coloration (Calambokidis et al., 2001). The resulting catalogue was used to construct annual sighting histories for each identifiable animal. Annual demographic parameters, including abundance, were reconstructed from sighting histories using capture-recapture (CR) methods. A Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) model (Lebreton et al., 1992) was fit through maximum likelihood estimation to estimate annual apparent survival (Φ) and detection probability (p). The final model specification was informed by goodness-of-fit tests and AICc. To account for variable annual effort, p was linked to modified annual survey effort (based on number of survey days) via logistic regression (resulting in a different p value for each year). To account for transient animals that only visit the study area once, Φ was stratified into survival following the first sighting (Φ0) and survival following subsequent sightings (Φ1+). From the output of this CJS model, the following parameters were derived: annual rate of transience (T), number of transient animals (NT), number of non-transient animals (NR) and total abundance (Ntot). Ntot was calculated using a modified Horvitz-Thompson estimator (Horvitz and Thompson, 1952). T was calculated based on survival estimates and the observed number of newly sighted animals and re-sighted animals each year. NT and NR were calculated using T and Ntot. Confidence intervals (95%) for all parameters were derived using a stratified bootstrap approach (1000 replicates).

Description: The dataset consists of 14 spectrograms of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) vocalisations. These were created from 29-minute-long recordings off Bermuda using three separate deployments of Autonomous Multichannel Acoustic Recorders G3. Two hydrophones were deployed on Challenger Bank, from 31 March to 6 September 2018 and from 10 September 2018 to 23 April 2019. The third hydrophone was deployed at Sally Tuckers on the Bermuda Platform from 31 March to 10 September 2018. Vocalisations were visualised and analysed as spectrograms (fast Fourier transformation size: 2048 points, 75% overlap, sample rate = 16000 Hz, Hann window, frequency resolution: 7.8 Hz, time resolution: 32 ms), produced using Raven Pro 1.6 sound analysis software. Six of the 14 spectrograms in the dataset illustrate the first and last times that humpback whales were acoustically detected during each deployment. The four spectrograms from Challenger Bank are from the first deployment date (31 March 2018), 18 May 2018, 26 December 2018 and the recovery date 23 April 2019. The spectrograms from Sally Tuckers are from the deployment date (31 March 2018) and 19 May 2018. A seventh spectrogram illustrates an anomalous occurrence of a humpback whale vocalisation outside the normal singing season, recorded on Challenger Bank on 31 August 2018. The remaining seven spectrograms illustrate the humpback whale song structure encountered in spring 2018 on Challenger Bank. These were recorded on 6, 13, 20 and 27 April 2018, and on 3, 11 and 18 May 2018. The dataset allows users to acoustically verify the presence of humpback whales in Bermuda's waters from late December to mid-May, but also to characterise and compare humpback whale song structure over time or elsewhere.