EUSeaMap 2025 Broad-Scale Predictive Habitat Map for Europe - Confidence in Classification of EUNIS 2007 Habitat Types

Confidence in the classification of the EUNIS 2007 habitat types in the 2025 EUSeaMap broad-scale predictive habitat map, this was updated in the 2025 version.

Values are 1 (Low confidence), 2 (Moderate confidence) or 3 (High confidence).

The final habitat type is classified by overlaying several layers of information; these layers of information are collectively known as 'habitat descriptors'. Habitat descriptors differ per region but include: Biological zone Energy class Oxygen regime Salinity regime Seabed substrate Riverine input

The confidence in the classification of the habitat type is taken as the minimum of the confidence in all of the relevant habitat descriptors at that location.

Confidence values are also available for each habitat descriptor and input data layer.

A report on the methods used in the 2025 version of EUSeaMap will be published in due course and reports on previous versions (v2016, v2019, v2021, v2023) are linked in lineage.

Created by the EMODnet Seabed Habitats project consortium.

Credit: Licensed under CC-BY 4.0 from the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) Seabed Habitats initiative (https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/seabed-habitats), funded by the European Commission.

It is important to note that a habitat type confidence score is only relevant to that particular level of the classification system. For example, a cell of A3.1 high energy infralittoral rock with 'low' energy class confidence, 'moderate' biozone confidence and 'high' substrate type confidence would have an overall 'low' confidence. However, moving up the hierarchy to EUNIS level two (A3 infralittoral rock) removes the energy class; therefore, the confidence of the EUNIS level two habitat type would only consider the 'moderate' biozone confidence and 'high' substrate type confidence, resulting in an overall 'moderate' confidence.