Outputs of the spatial conservation prioritisation study in the Bay of Biscay: Raster dataset

This dataset contains georeferenced raster outputs generated from the spatial conservation prioritisation analyses presented in the study “Mapping conservation priorities across benthic and pelagic environments provides actionable management insights in the Bay of Biscay.” The study applies a multi-zone prioritisation framework to identify ecologically significant areas across benthic and pelagic environments. The dataset includes: Scenario Solutions: Raster outputs from eight spatial conservation prioritisation scenarios (Section 3.2), reflecting different combinations of ecological objectives and constraints. Incremental Prioritisation: Outputs from stepwise prioritisation analyses used to determe high-priority areas and quantify target achievement (Section 3.3). Feature-Specific Mapping: Spatial layers highlighting key areas for selectred ecological features (cetaceans, seabirds, spawning areas of small pelagic fish, vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), Habitats Directive Annex I habitats, and EUSeaMap habitat types; Section 3.4). Fisheries: Raster files of fishing intensity for benthic and pelagic gears cropped by the identified conservation priority areas, which were used for assessing the potential impact of the scenario solution on fisheries (Section 3.5). All raster files are georeferenced and compatible with standard GIS platforms. Detailed methods and interpretation are provided in the associated manuscript.