Trawl Survey Observations in the Romanian Black Sea Sector (2017–2022)

This dataset contains fish trawl survey data collected by the National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa" (NIMRD) in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea during the period 2017–2022. The objective of the data collection was to calibrate a regional model for the assessment of turbot habitat used for habitat suitability index (HSI) mapping, based on a machine-learning algorithm designed for presence-only species distribution modelling. The scientific fishing activity consists of approximately 1-hour long profiles, using a demersal trawl. The measurements are taken in two different seasons: late spring to early summer (May and June) and autumn to winter (October to December). The average length of the profiles is 4.2 km, with a median value of 4.1 km. These were collected in areas with a water depth ranging from 7 to 71 metres. For each profile, the total weight and number of fish were recorded. The dataset comprises in-situ catch data showing occurrence records for certain species (Scophthalmus maeoticus, Squalus acanthias, Merlangius merlangus, Sprattus sprattus, and Aurelia aurita). The resulting dataset includes information such as station coordinates, date, depth, species name (linked to WoRMS), individual count and biomass per trawl reported using standardized Darwin Core terms. This approach was part of the Iliad Project's „Digital Twin of the Ocean”, Fisheries Productivity Pilot in the north-west Black Sea area.