Research project Thriving bays in the Baltic Sea
This project will investigate possibilities and remediation methods to reverse the negative environmental development taking place in many shallow bays of the Baltic Sea. It aims to contribute to new knowledge that clarify and quantify various influencing factors and effective methods to address them.
This project will investigate possibilities and methods to reverse the negative development that is taking place in many shallow bays (lagoons) of the Baltic Sea, due to e.g. eutrophication, physical disturbance and food web changes. The goals are both to contribute to new knowledge that clarify and quantify various influencing factors and effective methods to address them, as well as to spread hope and commitment to more remediation work in these ecosystems by showing good examples from the project.
Project description
The project will both try to regain well-functioning ecosystems and better conditions for recreation in a number of shallow demonstration bays after local actions, and produce solid recommendations on appropriate measures and costs for various situations from a number of case studies.
During the whole project communication of the work and investigations performed in the project, as well as dissemination of results and recommendations, will be important to increase and facilitate remediation work in more areas.
The case studies will focus on three influencing factors that are central to the status of these ecosystems:
• Eutrophication
• Physical impact (mainly related to leisure boats)
• Changes in the food web (mainly weakened predatory fish stocks/dominance of stickleback).
The project will be conducted in shallow bays in Svealand, but the choice of bays will be made in such a way that results and recommendations will be applicable to shallow bays in similar environments, for example in Sweden's and Finland's archipelago areas.
The thriving bays in the Baltic Sea research project studies internal phosphorus turnover, changes in bottom vegetation, boat-related disturbances and the role of reeds.
Please go to the Swedish page to learn more about the project.
Project members
Project managers
Linda Kumblad
Associate Professor
Emil Rydin
Associate Professor
Members
Joakim Hansen
Environmental Analyst
Åsa Nilsson Austin
Forskare
Erik Smedberg
Researcher
Annika Tidlund
Science Communicator
Sofia Wikström
Associate Professor
