Environmental Monitoring Database (MOD)

Data from authority required sediment monitoring of offshore installations on the Norwegian continental shelf are stored in the Environmental Monitoring Database (MOD).

The database contains millions of infaunal species records, along with chemical and geological data derived from stations around offshore infrastructure. The data are primarily gathered through grab sampling conducted annually, typically around May and June, though not every station is sampled each year. Instead, sampling often follows a triennial schedule at each station, with some locations maintaining records since the 1990s.

The grab samples are typically taken using a van Veen grab from a surface area of 0.5 m² at several predefined stations around each installation. The process involves recording the distance and direction from the main installation, along with precise latitude and longitude for each sample station. Generally, about five grab samples are taken at each station, spaced a few meters apart.

The MOD dataset available at data.equinor.com is limited to licenses operated by Equinor. The data are provided in the form of four .csv files that are formatted according to the Darwin Core terminology used by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). “EQ_MOD_sampling events.csv” lists the geographic attributes of the sampling locations, while “EQ_MOD_associated_occurrences_biology.csv”, “EQ_MOD_associated_occurrences_chemistry.csv” and “EQ_MOD_associated_occurrences_geology.csv” respectively list the associated biological, chemical and geological occurrences.

For further information on the Darwin Core terminology, use the following link: [Darwin Core quick reference guide - Darwin Core (tdwg.org)](https://dwc.tdwg.org/terms/)