The information gathered is part of Descriptor 1 of Commission Decision 2017/848/EU: specifically D1C6 (pelagic habitats). Phytoplankton communities constitute an important component of such water column habitats, forming the base of marine foodwebs. The composition of these communities can provide a good indication of the status of pelagic ecosystems, also because plankton responds to anthropogenic pressures, in particular nutrient enrichment. Surface chlorophyll-a levels can also be used to characterise pelagic habitats in oceanic waters of the Mediterranean Sea, on the basis of the importance of productivity in describing marine ecosystems and food availability. This dataset includes quantitative information including the density of phytoplankton in cells/l, chlorophyll-a in ug/l and the diatom/dinoflagellate ratio.
