HCMR-1 is an EMO BON observatory station operated by the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC) - Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) in Greece. The sampling site is located in the Crete Sea (Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin). Seawater and marine sediment samples are collected every two months and macrobenthos samples are collected twice a year. The sampling campaigns started in June 2021. All procedures follow the EMO BON Handbook. All EMO BON genomic data generated from the HCMR-1 observatory station will be included under this study.