September 1st, AquaBiota joined the NIRAS group! We are thus now part of an international business with environmental consultants in a variety of fields and world-wide operations. AquaBiota will enhance the marine and limnic competence of NIRAS Sweden and collaborate with researchers and consultants in Sweden as well as in other countries. As part of […]
AquaBiota Gasell 2022
AquaBiota has been appointed as a Gasell Company 2022 by the newspaper Dagens Industri! Every year Dagens Industry recognizes Sweden’s most successful companies; the criteria are tough and less than 1 percent of Sweden’s limited companies qualify. The growth that is rewarded must be organic, i.e. not through acquisition. “It feels great to be acknowledged […]
AquaBiota is out of office 6th to 26th July
AquaBiota is out of office 6th to 26th July. Scheduled fieldwork will be carried out, but otherwise we are on vacation. For urgent matters, please find direct numbers on our co-worker page. We wish you a lovely summer!
AquaBiota is moving to a new address
In the end of September AquaBiota is relocating from our current address at Löjtnantsgatan to Sveavägen 159. The office is currently under renovation and AquaBiota has had great help choosing colours and decor from Margreth from the architectural firm Tillsammans. We are looking forward to welcoming out partners and clients to our new address during […]
State-of the-art methods to increase knowledge of response to climate change in the Baltic Sea
A new study integrates experimental data and distribution models to predict species patterns under future climate conditions. Predictive species distribution models are mostly based on statistical dependence between environmental and distributional data and therefore may fail to account for physiological limits and biological interactions that are fundamental when modelling species distributions under future climate conditions. […]
Conservation and nested targets within marine protected areas in Sweden
AquaBiota did an analysis of spatial information for different Natura 2000 habitats and, conservation- and nested targets. The analysis is meant to support the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management investigation regarding the ecological functionality, connectivity and representativeness of the network of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in Sweden. Within Swedish marine areas there are […]
New research project on aquatic eDNA: Life-DNAquatic!
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has decided to finance the new research project Life-DNAquatic with approx. 500 000 € for three years (2019-2021). AquaBiota is the main applicant and researchers at Nature Metrics (UK), University of Hull (UK), MoRe Research (SE), Swedish Agricultural University (SE) and INBO (BE) will also participate in the project. The […]
Analyses of close to 1400 dropvideo films are completed
During this summer, AquaBiota surveyed the Baltic Proper’s bottoms with dropvideo in no less than 1382 stations. The surveys was commissioned by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SWaM) and the county administrative board of Gävleborg for the purpose of producing maps of biological components for the entire Swedish coast. The Gävleborg survey […]
eDNA-technology detected 18 fish species including sheatfish in lake Båven
In August 2018, AquaBiota performed an eDNA inventory of fish species in lake Båven (surface area 64,2 km²) in the county of Sörmland, commissioned by the water management association in Nyköping (Nyköpingsåarnas Vattenvårdsförbund). Eighteen fish species were found in the lake, including the threatened sheatfish (Silurus glanis) that during the time of sampling had sought out […]
Fieldworks 2018 for the Swedish marine mapping program is now completed
AquaBiota was commissioned by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SWaM) and the county administrative board of Gävleborg to survey the seafloor of Kalmar, Gotland, Östergötland, Södermanland, Stockholm and Gävleborg counties. In total, 1382 drop video stations, 622 grab sampling stations and 130 snorkelling and diving locations were sampled. The surveys are part […]
New scientific publication on the distribution of Baltic harbour porpoises
The Baltic Proper harbour porpoise is critically endangered, and its distribution virtually unknown. A new research article in Biological Conservation describes the spatial and seasonal distribution of harbour porpoises in the Baltic. Harbour porpoises are only visible when they emerge to the surface for breathing. In combination with their low numbers, this makes them difficult […]
Conservation values at Klints Bank
Using drop-video AquaBiota has investigated the conservation values at Klints Bank east of Gotland. The number of occurring species was very limited and the dominating organisms were blue mussels and hydrozoans. Mussel beds occurred at 40% of the stations, and were more common in shallower areas where hard substrate occurred to a greater extent. The […]
Municipal marine spatial planning in Kävlinge
On behalf of Kävlinge, AquaBiota has produced background data for planning purposes as part of a regional marine spatial planning project in Öresund. Usage of the sea is increasing. Fishing, recreation, transports and energy production need to share a limited space already occupied with marine habitats and organisms. Marine spatial planning aims for long term […]
Introduced species might cause major costs to society
Alien species can have a negative effect on the functioning of ecosystems, and thereby deteriorate the ecosystem services provided by nature. Deep sediments cover large parts of the Baltic Sea. They provide important functions, such as decomposition of organic matter and recirculation of nutrients. Since the 1990ies these habitats have undergone a radical change. An […]
Footprints in the snow – new DNA method for mammal inventories
DNA has been isolated from footprints left in the snow by three otters in Northern Sweden. Scientists at AquaBiota in Stockholm, Sweden, managed to retrieve large amounts of high quality DNA from snow footprints by using a new molecular technique. The results revealed both DNA from the otters themselves and traces from their latest food […]
Are microplastic pollution really as harmful as we think?
Abstract New scientific article: Microplastic pollution is currently perceived as an environmental hazard, and adverse effects have been reported at various levels of biological organization. However, most experimental designs do not allow plastic-specific effects to be distinguished from those caused by other particles, such as clay and cellulose, which are naturally ubiquitous in the environment. […]
Mapping of coastal ecosystem services in Blekinge
Valuation of ecosystem services is used to visualize and enhance understanding of human dependence on healthy ecosystems. Together with Anthesis Enveco and Belyazid Consulting & Communication, AquaBiota has identified, mapped and valued both marine and terrestrial ecosystem services in the coastal zone of Blekinge. The report’s main objective is to enhance understanding of those challenges […]
Bladderwrack in the Baltic may be severely affected by climate change
Due to the salinity gradient and low biodiversity, the Baltic Sea is particularly sensitive to climate changes. There is a risk that climate driven changes in temperature, ice cover, salinity and water levels will negatively impact the distribution and condition of species, habitats and ecosystem services. In a new article in Diversity and Distribution we […]
eDNA-analyses in Svartån
Using environmental DNA (eDNA) in a study on fish species diversity in Svartån, Östergötland in Sweden proves the method to be promising in monitoring programs of rare, elusive and invasive species. This particular stream is regarded to have a high species diversity. Sampled eDNA revealed presence of 21 fish species, another 4-5 species are expected […]
The Mosaic framework is out for referral
Based on consideration for conservation values and ecological representativeness the Mosaic framework provides guidance on the prioritization of spatial marine management. The framework is now out for referral. The aim of the framework is to promote a functional, ecosystem-based and adaptive approach to spatial conservation, tailored to the marine environment’s characteristics and opportunities for knowledge […]
Research breakthrough: One jug of water reveals the fish species of a lake
AquaBiota can now present a revolutionising, and reliable, method to identify all fish species that occurs in a lake, through analysing DNA from a water sample! This is the first time this is achieved in Sweden. More than 50 Swedish lakes and streams have been investigated and the results compared with earlier exploratory fisheries. The […]
EU-grant for international research on eDNA of fish
Micaela Hellström from AquaBiota was granted a short-term grant (Short Term Scientific Mission – STSM) from EU’s COST DNAqua-Net fond (CA15219). She spent the month of July at the University of Hull, Great Britain, as a visiting scientist in Dr. Bernd Hänfling’s laboratory. The grant was intended to streamline and validate eDNA analyses of fish on […]
Article on cascade effects of predatory fish in the Baltic Sea
Abstract: Trophic cascades occur in many ecosystems, but the factors regulating them are still elusive. We suggest that an overlooked factor is that trophic interactions (TIs) are often scale-dependent and possibly interact across spatial scales. To explore the role of spatial scale for trophic cascades, and particularly the occurrence of cross-scale interactions (CSIs), we collected […]
AquaBiota now a member of a scientific committee for eDNA development
Micaela Hellström from AquaBiota is now a member of the scientific committee in the five year EU project called Developing new genetic tools for bioassessment of aquatic ecosystems in Europe (COST Action CA15219). The project is also called DNAqua-Net (http://dnaqua.net/) and deals with the implementation and refinement of environmental DNA (eDNA) according to the EU-Water […]
New report on coastal zone ecosystem services
Coastal ecosystems of the Nordic countries, such as kelp forests, blue mussel beds, eelgrass meadows and shallow bays and inlets, provide a number of supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services to both the local communities as well as the wider population who benefit from them. The study, published by the Nordic Council of Ministers, […]
Article on the weathering processes of microplastic
Once plastic waste finds its way into the marine environment, various weathering processes lead to the generation of microplastic, release of chemical additives, and likely also production of nanoplastic and chemical fragments cleaved from the polymer backbone. However, weathering of plastic in the marine environment is not well understood in terms of time scales for […]
Marine ecosystem services: from ecological function to economic value
The final report of the VALUES project is now available (Nyström Sandman et.al. 2017). VALUES is a part of the research program “the value of ecosystem services”, funded by the Swedish EPA. This is the only project in the program with a marine focus. Through in-depth studies of two separate marine habitats, the VALUES project […]
Proposed monitoring and assessment of underwater noise in the Baltic Sea
The four-year EU LIFE+ project Baltic Sea Information on the Acoustic Soundscape (BIAS) has now come to an end. The aim of the project was to demonstrate how to implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive with regard to continuous low frequency sound in the Baltic Sea. The BIAS implementation plan describes the regional monitoring programme […]
Coastal areas of Gårdskär in Uppsala County has been mapped
AquaBiota has created maps of macro vegetation and habitats in the Gårdskär coastal area, in relation to the establishment of a marine nature reserve. The area was surveyed with underwater video, and field data from the 200 sampled stations was then used together with comprehensive maps of environmental conditions to create distribution maps of macro […]
Conservation values around Gotland
AquaBiota has performed extensive benthic surveys around southern Gotland and in the area from northwestern Fårö and Salvorev to Gotska Sandön and Kopparstenarna on behalf of the county administrative board in Gotland County. High conservation values in terms of high densities of blue mussels were found on elevations off the coast and many of these […]
New ultra clean eDNA extraction facilities officially opened
Brand new and ultra-clean laboratory facilities – exclusively aimed for environmental DNA extractions – were officially opened February 6th. Micaela Hellström, who has participated in setting up several eDNA labs earlier, has given advice on the laboratory design. The laboratory fulfils all relevant standards for uncontaminated laboratory facilities and is run by a well-trained team […]
eDNA analyses at AquaBiota
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is a research field that has been developed during the last 10 years and is now ready to be used as method in many types of surveys of the aquatic environment. Less than a liter of water, collected from a lake, bay or river, is enough to detect the presence of […]
Knowledge building program for deep reef habitats
On behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) AquaBiota will compile a knowledge building program for deep reef habitats in marine Atlantic region/ the North Sea. The deep reef habitats include the habitat type 1170 reefs, and the OSPAR habitats Deep-sea sponge aggregations, Lophelia pertusa reefs and Coral gardens. In these […]
Feeding habitat of Long-tailed ducks
A new publication in the journal Wildfowl shows a strong coupling between Long-tailed Ducks and the density of their food, blue mussels, in the southern Baltic Sea (Hanö bight). The study shows that although Long-tailed Ducks tend to aggregate in areas of overall high food density, patchiness of the resource also plays a significant role. […]
New article from the research project PlantFish
A new article from the research project PlantFish shows quantitative relationships between organism size and biomass, for a number of invertebrates in the shallow coastal zone of the Baltic Sea. Organism biomass is an important variable in many ecological studies. Biomass estimates is however a time consuming and expensive procedure requiring lab time, since the […]
Assessing conservation values for municipal marine comprehensive planning in southern Sweden
On behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, AquaBiota has developed a Swedish framework for conservation value assessment of the marine environment. The framework is called MOSAIC, and will serve as a tool in various forms of management – from environmental impact assessments, site protection, marine green infrastructure and, not least as […]
Important areas for harbour porpoises in Swedish waters
A new report describes important areas for harbour porpoises identified based on density or likelihood of occurrence of harbour porpoises. The eight areas identified in Swedish waters are: The northern tip of Jutland, which is used by the Skagerrak population. Fladen and Lilla Middelgrund, (3) Stora Middelgrund and the northern part of the Sound, and […]
Species richness – a promising indicator for hard substrate communities
A recently published scientific report shows the response of macrophyte indicators for the Water Framework Directive to anthropogenic gradients. Titel Response of macrophyte indicators to natural and anthropogenic gradients in two coastal areas of Sweden Summary Benthic macrophytes are known to be affected by anthropogenic activity, and therefore these communities are suitable for the assessment […]
Survey completed of the largest depth in Sweden!
The Bratten area located in Skagerack which contains the largest depth in Sweden has now been surveyed. The assignment which comprised charting of a 1206 km2 area according to hydrographic survey standard (IHO S-44) was performed during December and January by Clinton Marine Survey in cooperation with AquaBiota Water Research on behalf of Swedish Agency […]
Opinion for a national ban on micro-plastics in cosmetics
The think tank Baltic Eye at Stockholm University recently published an opinion piece in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet regarding a proposal for a national ban of micro-plastic particles in cosmetic products (http://www.svd.se/regeringen-bor-forbjuda-mikroplasten). One of the scientists behind the article is AquaBiotas researcher Martin Ogonowski. Although the state of knowledge about the effects of plastic […]
Draft of a marine mapping plan submitted to the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management
On behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, AquaBiota has submitted a proposal on how a plan for the mapping of Sweden’s conservation values should be designed. The mapping is aimed at creating comprehensive map data of marine plants, animals and biotopes covering the entire marine Swedish waters including the economic zone. […]
New ownership of AquaBiota
From January 2016 AquaBiota is an entirely Swedish research company! The founder Martin Isaeus has bought NIVA’s shares and is now the sole owner. “ – I see great potential in AquaBiota and anticipate an exciting development in the future! We are a strong team that can continue to develop AquaBiota’s present business, and we […]
Inventories of nature values in Lidingö
AquaBiota performed a marine conservation value assessment and extensive field surveys of the coastal waters off Lidingö for Lidingö Municipality’s work with a “blue plan”. Lidingö has launched a project to increase knowledge of the municipality’s aquatic nature values. This knowledge is necessary in municipal planning to highlight conservation values, threats and opportunities for development. […]
Basis for coastal and marine planning in western Hanöbukten
The report from our project with the Municipality of Kristianstad, which aimed to develop a common basis for coastal and marine planning for Kristianstad, Simrishamn and Bromölla municipalities, is now available. It compiles and describes comprehensive information on the marine natural environment and various human interests in the western Hanö Bight. The majority of these […]
IrPlast and Weather-mic – two new research projects aiming to increase our knowledge on plastic litter degradation processes and their spatial distribution
AquaBiota has, since recently, an ongoing project on microplastics (MPs) that assesses the toxicity of these particles and their effects on aquatic food webs. Our understanding of the processes governing plastic decomposition/weathering is however scant. Moreover, there are no standardized methods for the identification and quantification of microplastics from environmental samples. To develop our understanding […]
Marine survey of Natura 2000-area Bratten and development of a method for a more efficient use of depth data
Commissioned by Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), the Natura2000-area Bratten in Skagerrak will be hydrographic surveyed by AquaBiota in collaboration with Clinton Marine Survey. In conjunction with this, marine survey data is also collected from shallow coastal waters with the purpose of interpreting benthic biotopes. A multibeam echo sounder capable of recording […]
End of the six-year water management cycle
The second six-year water management cycle will end during the month of December and a now one will start at 2016. At the end of this cycle, all so called surface water bodies shall have reached the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) “good ecological status” or “good ecological potential”. Moreover, no surface water body that have […]
Two reports concerning Marine Green Infrastructure
Figure 1. A schematic figure of central components of the suggested framework of Marine Green Infrastructure. A “Core” (värdekärna) is a location of an ecosystem component (species, species complex or habitat) with a high conservation value, based on criteria relating to biodiversity, threat and ecosystem services. A “Value Area” (värdetrakt) is an area with many […]
A national survey of Baltic habitats
During August and September AquaBiota has performed an extensive survey of reefs and large shallow inlets and bays along the Swedish Baltic coast. The aim has been to verify and follow up status for the habitats within the Natura 2000 system. 600 stations has been investigated, with start in Västerbotten and finish in Skåne by […]
National data compilation
During the autumn of 2015, AquaBiota will carry out a national collection and compilation of marine species data on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. Part of the work comprises an assessment of the suitability of the collected data to be used for modeling purposes in a planned mapping of the […]
Production on brominated compounds in the alga Ceramium tenuicorne
New scientific publication in Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Title Induced production of brominated aromatic compounds in the alga Ceramium tenuicorne Abstract In the Baltic Sea, high concentrations of toxic brominated aromatic compounds have been detected in all compartments of the marine food web. A growing body of evidence points towards filamentous algae as a […]
Potential breeding area identified for the critically endangered Baltic Sea harbour porpoise
The number of porpoises in the critically endangered Baltic Sea population has been estimated to approximately 450 animals (95% confidence limits 90-997). Modelled maps of porpoise seasonal distribution show that the most important area during May-December when porpoises give birth, nurse their calves and mate, is around the midsea banks south of Gotland. These results […]
Cyanobacteria support zooplankton
New scientific publication in PLoS ONE shows that bloom-forming cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea support the development and reproduction of zooplankton, (i.e. copepods, which are an essential link to fish). Title Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria Support Copepod Reproduction and Development in the Baltic Sea Abstract It is commonly accepted that summer cyanobacterial blooms cannot be efficiently utilized […]
Planning tool for underwater noise
On 26 november 2014 HELCOM organized a workshop in Helsingfors on underwater noise. The aim of the workshop was to carry out a stock-taking of on-going activities for the MSFD descriptor D11, and based on this to discuss and plan the development of joint regional monitoring as well as the next steps for development of […]
MARMONI Final Conference
“Innovative indicators, methods, monitoring & assessment of marine biodiversity in the Baltic Sea” Start: 27 January 2015; 13.00 Slut: 28 January 2015; 13:30 Location: The Baltic Beach Hotel in Jurmala, Latvia At the 27-28 of January the final conference MARMONI “Innovative indicators, methods, monitoring & assessment of marine biodiversity in the Baltic Sea” will take […]
Workshop: “Review of draft Programme of Measures for Marine Strategy Framework Directive”
In the first week of November (2014) Havsmiljöinstitutet arranged a workshop in Gothenburg to review of draft programme of measures for Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Julia Carlström and Martin Ogonowski from AquaBiota participated as invited experts. The programme of measures for the Baltic and the North Sea is the last part of the first […]
The interlink between the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Marine spatial planning
AquaBiota participated with two platform presentations in the international conference ”The interlink between the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Marine spatial planning” in Riga 21-22 October 2014. The conference had ca 75 participants from a range of institutions including the EU Commission, Baltic Sea governments, authorites, research institutes and non-governmental organizations. The main aim of […]
New scientific publication
Title Assessing uncertainty associated with the monitoring and evaluation of spatially managed areas Abstract Marine spatial planning (MSP) is advocated to support an ecosystem approach to marine management, as it allows consideration of multiple management objectives including marine conservation. The monitoring and evaluation of both implemented marine plans and the planning process itself is susceptible […]
Study from China
On 20 September, AqB hosted a delegation of six Chinese officials who were on a short visit to Sweden. The visit is part of a project run by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and is funded by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. It is included as part of the implementation of the Stockholm Convention. […]
EU Directive for marine spatial planning comes into force
The European Parliament and the Council adopted legislation to create a common framework for maritime spatial planning in Europe during the summer. The new directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 28th August and comes into force today 17th September (20 days after its publication). The implementation of this directive […]
New co-worker
Hedvig Hogfors, PhD marine ecology, has started to work at AquaBiota. Previously Hedvig has worked with various issues related to aquatic ecology – primarily with questions about the effects of cyanobacterial blooms, eutrophication and climate change. She has also worked with linking national and regional environmental monitoring programs and designed municipal environmental monitoring plans. Furthermore […]
Predictive Modeling and Mapping
New scientific publication Title Testing the Potential for Predictive Modeling and Mapping and Extending Its Use as a Tool for Evaluating Management Scenarios and Economic Valuation in the Baltic Sea (PREHAB) Abstract We evaluated performance of species distribution models for predictive mapping, and how models can be used to integrate human pressures into ecological and […]
New report from the SUPERB project
Underwater biotopes and anthropogenic pressures in Holmöarna Sammanfattning Vi har för Holmöarna modellerat utbredningen av biotoper klassade enligt HELCOM Underwater Biotope and habitat classification (HUB). Systemet har utvecklats för att ge en gemensam förståelse för Östersjöns biotoper, habitat och samhällen. I modelleringen har vi även testat hur substratinformation, både från fältdata och klassat från Lidar, […]
Eutrophication management scenarios
Eutrophication management scenarios Ny vetenskaplig publikation Titel Evaluating eutrophication management scenarios in the Baltic Sea using species distribution modelling Summary Eutrophication is severely affecting species distributions and ecosystem functioning in coastal areas. Targets for eutrophication reduction have been set in the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) using Secchi depth, a measure of water transparency, as […]
New report; Natura 2000 habitat types
Sandbanks, reefs, Baltic esker islands and boreal Baltic islets and small islands A report on mapping the potential distribution of the habitat types 1110 sandbanks, 1170 reefs, 1610 Baltic esker islands and 1620 boreal Baltic islets and small islands in Västernorrland, Södermanland, Östergötland, Blekinge and Skåne counties, as well as Gullmarsfjorden and a Skagerrak area […]
Underwater noise in the Baltic Sea
AquaBiota participates in the EU LIFE+ project BIAS, which acts to support the management of underwater noise in the Baltic Sea. The project will establish an implementation plan with standards, methodologies, and tools which facilitate the handling of underwater noise within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. While sound measurements are carried out during 2014, at […]
Species–environment relationships
Species–environment relationships New scientific publication Titel Species–environment relationships and potential for distribution modelling in coastal waters Abstract Due to increasing pressure on the marine environment there is a growing need to understand species–environment relationships. To provide background for prioritising among variables (predictors) for use in distribution models, the relevance of predictors for benthic species was […]
SAMBAH conference on porpoises
8th-9th Dec 2014, at Kolmården Wildlife Park, Sweden Kolmården Wildlife Park and AquaBiota has the pleasure to invite you to the SAMBAH end-of project conference, to be held 8-9 December 2014. Here, the final results of SAMBAH will be presented, including abundance estimates and distribution maps of harbour porpoises in the Baltic Sea, and the […]
New reports; Stockholm, Sörmland
Marin modelling Stockholm Södermanland (MMSS) Two reports from the project Marin modelling Stockholm Södermanland (MMSS) are now published. Report summary There is a great need for increased knowledge on the marine environment, both for regional and local coastal planning, and as a basis for supervision and decision making under the Environmental Code. Maps of the […]
Here are the Baltic harbour porpoises!
Photo: Patrik Eld. Results from the SAMBAH project clearly shows harbour porpoises to be present in a large part of the Baltic Proper. Please read more in the press release.