The following datasets were integrated into the NSBP database, with a link to their metadata:

• North Sea Benthos Survey
• Long term trends in the macrobenthos of the Belgian Continental Shelf
• Amrum Bank and inner German Bight Benthos
• Macrozoobenthos data from the southeastern North Sea in 2000
• Macrobenthos from English waters between 2000-2002
• Macrobenthos from the eastern English Channel in 1999 and 2001
• BfG - Estuary Monitoring Programme Macrozoobenhos
• Eastern Channel dataset
• Macrobenthos from Copale - Authie
• macrobenthos in the Dutch Sector of the North Sea 1991-2001
• Macrobenthos data from the Norwegian Skagerrak coast
• Macrobenthos data from the Doggerbank - 2000
• Macrobenthos samples collected in the Scottish waters in 2001
• Macrozoobenthos from the Belgian Continental Shelf, collected in 2000
• Macrobenthos from the Norwegian waters

Within the metadata, a link is provided to where the data are online accessible.

Sampling occurred mainly in spring and early summer of 2000 and covered almost the whole North Sea from the English Channel to about 60�N. The Norwegian data set contains information mainly from studies associated with oil and gas platforms.

Most of the sampling in 2000 was conducted with a 0.1 m2 van Veen grab and samples were sieved over a 1 mm mesh. Two to three replicates per station were taken. Dutch samples were obtained with a box corer, British ones with a 0.1m2 Day or Hamon grab depending on the sediment type.

Biomass was estimated by most of the laboratories, ranging from wet weight to ash free dry weight. Conversion factors can be used to standardize biomass for all data sets. AFDW and wet weight data are available from NIOZ and Wimereux to calculate conversion factors; conversions by Rumohr et al. (1987) are also commonly used.

Samples for sediment composition and contaminants were taken by most participants, either from extra grabs or from the same grab as used for faunal analysis. Samples for analysis of meiofauna were taken only by CEFAS and FRS.

Access to data

Arising from discussion at a final intersessional meetng of the ICES SG NSBP 2000 held in Oostende in November 2006 and subsequent consultation with all data providers, the following was agreed:

• Permit unrestricted access to environmental data (granulometry, temperature, salinity, tidal and wave stress, heavy metal concentrations) at NSBP 2000 stations
• Release species presence/absence data through the dedicated website after publication of the ICES Cooperative Research Report (CRR) summarizing the outcome of the NSBP initiative; this would be accompagnied by a "terms of use statement", along the lines of the MarBEF policy
  it was agreed with the NSBP community to make all species data and information available through EurOBIS. The link to the online data can be found on the metadata pages
• Release species presence/absence data via EurOBIS after publication of the CRR, with links back to the NSB website
• Release quantitative data via the NSB website after publication of follow-up research papers or after two years, whichever comes first
  it was agreed with the NSBP community to make all species data and information available through EurOBIS and not through the NSB website. The link to the online data can be found on the metadata pages

The ICES NSBP 2000 database will continue to be supported by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) on behalf of ICES. Note that the datasets contributing to the ICES NSBP 2000 database remain the property of the guardians or sponsors of the individual projects that led to their production. The release of these individual datasets for any other purposes clearly remains entirely at their discretion.