Table 3.

Test of fixed and random factors for the linear mixed models of cover of macroalgae and soft-substrate vegetation (log-transformed values)

Region	Number of observations (years)	Fixed factors			Random factors
		Area	Year	Depth	Site	Diver
Macroalgae cover
Gulf of Bothnia inner	1064 (13)	<0.0001	0.0288	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.1091
Gulf of Bothnia outer	1215 (13)	0.0020	0.5835	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0807
Baltic Proper inner	3888 (14)	<0.0001	0.0003	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0121
Baltic Proper outer	3859 (14)	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0150
West coast inner	626 (6)	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.2663
West coast outer	1349 (6)	0.0089	0.0001	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.1467
Soft-substrate vegetation cover
Gulf of Bothnia inner	943 (12)	<0.0001	0.1885	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0991
Gulf of Bothnia outer	176 (11)	0.4728	0.1984	<0.0001	0.0045	0.1771
Baltic Proper inner	1854 (14)	<0.0001	0.4694	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0225
Baltic Proper outer	408 (12)	0.7663	0.4832	<0.0001	0.0076	0.0442

Significance of fixed effects was tested with F-test and of random effects with asymptotic Wald Z-test

Significant factors (P < 0.05) are highlighted in bold