Post-processed connectivity matrices from PyLag particle tracking model of retrospective particles in the North Sea during two contrasting years (2014 and 2017).

This dataset uses the PyLag particle tracking model to simulate the ecological connectivity of benthic species in the northern North Sea during two contrasting years (2014 and 2017) to highlight seasonal to annual variability. Daily Pylag particles were processed into connectivity matrices. Connectivity is measured as the number of particles connecting two location on a Eulerian grid. Each day represents one release of particles and the connections made over their 90 day transport journey. A particle cannot re-intersect the same location in the matrix with a 10 day window. The daily matrices are aggregated into monthly files. The grid is centred over Scotland and the northern North Sea with a circle centered at 58.7 N, 2 W with radius 350 km. The data were generated under the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) project CHASANS (grant reference NE/T010886/1).