CaspianSeaMap 2025 Broad-Scale Predictive Habitat Map - Confidence in Classification of MSFD Benthic Broad Habitat Types and EUNIS 2022 Habitat Types

Confidence in the classification of:

• the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Benthic Broad Habitat Types (V. 2017)
• the EUNIS 2022 habitat types in the 2025 CaspianSeaMap broad-scale predictive habitat map, these were updated in the 2025 version.

Values are 1 to 3 (1=low confidence, 2=medium confidence, 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 Seabed substrate

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.

A report on the methods used in the 2025 version of CaspianSeaMap will be published in due course and the report on previous version (v2023) is linked in lineage.

It is important to note that a habitat type confidence score is only relevant to that particular level of the classification system.

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.