Research project Cumulative impact assessment of marine benthic habitats (“Carambha”)
The cumulative effects of various human activities on coastal and marine ecosystems are a pressing problem. The seafloor is subject to physical pressures from e.g. construction, dredging, marine traffic and bottom trawling, which may co-occur with each other and with climate change and eutrophication.
Seabed status is one of 11 so-called descriptors used to determine environmental status in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. According to the MSFD, seafloor integrity status is to be assessed
as proportion of seafloor per habitat type adversely affected by human-induced pressures, but compiled information and data are lacking for the Swedish assessment.
CARAMBHA is researching ways to assess the criteria for seafloor integrity, integrating cumulative impact assessments with spatial indicators of benthic ecosystem functions, using existing and new data. We will test different methods for assessing seafloor integrity status for habitat types and suggest thresholds for good environmental status in Swedish marine waters.
Project description
Our research group is mainly involved in the part of CARAMBHA dealing with bottom trawling.
We have collated existing data from 4 areas in Sweden where bottom trawling occurs, as well as carrying out an extensive sampling programme in the Swedish Kattegat in October 2021, where we collected new data on benthic communities and ecosystem functioning (e.g. nutrient and carbon cycling). We will analyse these data in terms of ecosystem structure (community composition) and function (traits analysis, biogeochemical processes).
Project members
Project managers
Antonia Nyström Sandman
