Seabed habitats provide valuable ecosystem services to societies and industry in terms of food, raw materials, energy and space (e.g. fisheries). To obtain these benefits, we undertake several activities that disturb the seabed and its habitats by changing geological, physical and chemical conditions or directly affect the benthic biology. Human activities can cause physical loss or disturbance to the seabed, and the MSFD requires the assessment of the extent of such damage, as well as of the benthic habitat’s extent and condition and the adverse effects from physical disturbance produced on them.