This project assess the effectiveness of bottom fisheries measures on the seafloor integrity in Belgian waters. Here, “bottom fisheries measures” refers to the exclusion of bottom-disturbing fishing activities from areas characterized by conservation and restoration priority benthic biotopes such as HA1110 and HA1170, incl. gravel beds and Lanice aggregations. MarBiol is contracted for monitoring of the macrobenthos in both habitat types. By sampling the carbon content of these sediments, this project will provide unique empirical (dis)support of the contested theory that ending bottom-trawling fisheries would result in carbon storage.