eas are subject to heavy exploitation through shoreline construction, and that habitat degradation rates due to construction are accelerating. Simultaneously the reproduction habitats are highly affected by eutrophication. The effects of eutrophication on the habitats and indirectly on fish stock sizes are multifaceted, with some species losing and others actually gaining from the effects of eutrophication. The picture is further complicated by the fact that fishing, as an additional type pressure, may indirectly lead to a decrease in the quality of fish reproduction habitats by relaxing the top-down control of filamentous nuisance algae maintained by predatory fish.
The second study concerned aphotic soft substrate sediments, which cover approximately 90% of the Baltic Sea seafloor and provide crucial ecosystem functions such as decomposition of organic matter and re-mineralization of nutrients. Despite this, the importance of aphotic soft sediments in an ecosystem service context has largely been neglected, where previous studies in the Baltic Sea have mainly focused on near-shore ecosystem services. The human introduction of Marenzelleria, a polychaete genus, into the Baltic Sea has most likely changed crucial benthic processes that provide ecosystem services on a Baltic Sea-wide scale. Currently, knowledge on the large scale consequences of the Marenzelleria introduction on the Baltic Sea soft sediment ecosystem is severely lacking. By combining the quantification of biogeochemical processes in the presence or absence of Marenzelleria with high resolution maps of the modelled distribution of the species group in the Baltic Sea, its impact on nutrient cycling and release of contaminants can be quantified on a Baltic Sea scale. There are clear needs from a management perspective for data on the potential costs/values of marine non-indigenous species. This is both needed as examples of potential costs related to lack of preventive actions (there are no viable management options for a Baltic Sea wide Marenzelleria removal, but we can prevent introduction of additional species) and to meet the requirements of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Considering the potential large scale effects of Marenzelleria on Baltic Sea phosphorous, nitrogen and organic contaminant dynamics, this topic is also extremely relevant for fulfilling several international environmental commitments (HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan, EU Water Framework Directive) and national environmental objectives (particularly No Eutrophication and a Toxic-Free Environment).
- AquaBiota Water Research (coordinator)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – Institutions for Aquatic resources and Economy
- The Baltic Sea Centre of Stockholm University
- County Administrative Board of Stockholm
Press (in Swedish)
- Kartering av ekosystemtjänster under havsytan (Kart & Bildteknik 2015:4)
- Värdefulla vikar behöver bättre skydd (Svealandskusten 2014)
- Fler bryggor ger färre fiskar (Tidningen Skärgården sep 2014)
- Kustfiskens uppväxtområden – viktiga men dåligt skyddade (HavsUtsikt 2/2013)
- Sundblad G., Bergström U., 2014: Shoreline development and degradation of coastal fish reproduction habitats. Ambio 43:1020-1028. DOI 10.1007/s13280-014-0522-y.
- Sundblad G., Bergström U., Sandström A., Eklöv P., 2013: Nursery habitat availability limits adult stock sizes of predatory coastal fish. ICES Journal of Marine Science. DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fst056, in press.
- Gundersen H, Bryan T, Chen W, Moy F E, Sandman A N, Sundblad G, Schneider S, Andersen J H, Langaas S och Walday M G 2017: Ecosystem Services In the Coastal Zone of the Nordic Countries. TemaNord 2016:552. Nordiska Ministerrådet, Köpenhamn, 127 p.
- Nyström Sandman. A., Bergström, U., Gren, I.-M., Sundblad, G., Tafesse Tirkaso, W. & Wikström, S. 2017: VALUES – Värdering av akvatiska livsmiljöers ekosystemtjänster. Naturvårdsverkets rapport 6752.