The most large-scale problem of the Baltic Sea is eutrophication. While we’ve been successful in cutting the nutrient load from land, nutrients that are stored in the seabed slow down the Sea’s recovery. The SEABASED Project (Seabased Measures in Baltic Sea Nutrient Management) will assess measures that improve the status of marine area by reducing the internal load of the sea. The project will pilot selected measures in the pilot areas in Finland, Åland and Sweden.
Development of a concept of a Water Improvement Fund and restoration of coastal areas – Government of Åland, County Administrative Board of Östergötland and the Åland Fish Farmers’ Association
A concept of Water Improvement Fund for coastal restoration measures will be developed with an objective to examine different options and needs for new regulations for legislation and to find functional and sustainable solutions e.g. to be utilized in ecosystem based compensations in the future, for which Åland will act as “test laboratory”. The concept will be applied and tested in practice with pilot activities to reduce nutrients from the marine environment and to restore the coastal pilot areas into better condition: removing nutrient-rich bottom waters from two eutrophied semi-closed, coastal bays and testing the possibility of recycling nutrients by utilizing the water for irrigation on fields, and supporting the spawning of predatory fish-stocks by fishing stickleback in Åland and Östergötland region in Sweden. Complementary measures, such as artificial reefs and spawning grounds to increase predatory fish stocks will also be tested to support ecosystem recovery and, consequently, reduce the internal nutrient load in pilot coastal bays in Östergötland region. Results from all pilot activities will be utilized in the concept development work.
Development of a concept of a Water Improvement Fund and restoration of coastal areas – Government of Åland, County Administrative Board of Östergötland and the Åland Fish Farmers’ Association
A concept of a Water Improvement Fund for coastal restoration measures will be developed with an objective to examine different options and needs for new regulations for legislation and to find functional and sustainable solutions e.g. to be utilized in ecosystem based compensations in the future, for which Åland will act as “test laboratory”. The concept will be applied and tested in practice with pilot activities to reduce nutrients from the marine environment and to restore the coastal pilot areas into better condition: removing nutrient-rich bottom waters from two eutrophied semi-closed, coastal bays and testing the possibility of recycling nutrients by utilizing the water for irrigation on fields, and supporting the spawning of predatory fish-stocks by fishing stickleback in Åland and Östergötland region in Sweden.
Binding phosphorus into sediment – Stockholm university
In the project, three pilot examples with marl/ limestone residue application to phosphorus-rich bottoms will be implemented in coastal bays in Sweden and Finland. The pilots has started with a development phase, risk assessments and selecting of the pilot sites, after which the measure will be implemented. After application, the effects of the measure on phosphorus concentrations as well as on sediments and biota will be assessed. If the pilot tests are successful, the results will be compiled into guidelines for marl application as a method for binding phosphorus to bottom sediments in the Baltic Sea region.
Removal of active top layer of sediment – Southwest Finland ELY Centre
Two pilots on removal of organic, oxygen consuming, active top layer of bottom sediment will be carried out at two pilot sites in Finland. Potential methods for sediment removal will be tested and, based on the results, the effect and efficiency of these methods will be evaluated. The main objective of the measure is to eliminate the organic oxygen consumption processes in the sediment and, consequently, decrease the leakage of phosphorus from anoxic sediment to the water phase. Therefore, to gain information on the efficiency of the measure, the nutrient contents in the sediment will be measured and changes in nutrient concentration in the water above the sediment will be monitored thoroughly. The suitability and potential of the measure in Baltic Sea protection will be evaluated, especially for coastal anoxic bottom areas that have been historically under high nutrient load, with little possibilities of significant flora or fauna to survive without restoration measures.
