Preliminary dataset on large benthic foraminifera, sediment heavy metals, and coastal water environmental parameters in West Likupang, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

This article presents an integrated dataset of biological, geochemical, and physicochemical parameters from the coastal waters of West Likupang, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The dataset comprises three components: (1) species data, including raw counts of large benthic foraminifera (LBF); (2) heavy metal concentrations (cadmium [Cd], copper [Cu], lead [Pb], tin [Sn], zinc [Zn], arsenic [As], and mercury [Hg]) in surface sediments, analyzed using ICP-MS and CVAFS; and (3) in-situ environmental parameters, consisting of concurrent measurements of pH, temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO). Data were collected in July 2024 from three coastal settings representing tourist, mangrove, and village environments. This dataset is intended as an exploratory reference rather than a definitive characterization of the region, serving as a valuable starting point for researchers in marine ecology, environmental reconstruction, and pollution monitoring. It establishes an initial baseline dataset for this developing coastal region within the Coral Triangle, and may be useful for generating hypotheses and supporting future comparative studies.