Deep Sea Reporter examines bottom trawling in marine protected areas – part one. The Swedish shrimp is both red-listed according to the Swedish Species Information Centre and has lost its MSC certification, yet trawling for shrimp continues even in marine protected areas. Deep Sea Reporter will examine the consequences of bottom trawling in two reportages. In part one, we dive into Gullmarsfjorden, Sweden’s first marine protected area and the country’s only threshold fjord with unique marine life.
Laws alone are not enough to stop global overfishing. That is the view of researcher Frida Bengtsson, who has investigated what else is needed to create a sustainable fishing industry.
The quotas for herring fishing in the Baltic Sea in 2026 have been decided by the EU Council of Ministers. Now, voices are being raised from several quarters that the fishing quotas in the Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay are illegally high.
Once upon a time, eel was Sweden’s most common fish. It was found everywhere but was fished so heavily that it is now on the verge of extinction. The eel population is now one per cent of what it was in the 1950s. According to researchers, we must stop fishing for eel if it is to have a chance of survival, but fishermen disagree.
Over the past 20 years, macroalgae blooms have increased at an unprecedented rate. This is shown by a new study, which warns that the spread could lead to major changes in the ecology of the sea.
The term “Conservationist” is not a legally protected title like “lawyer” or “doctor” is, and that is a good thing. It allows for people like Hans Saleo to be recognized for the important work he is doing to protect the manta rays, even without the formal credentials.
The new report from the United Nations Environment Programme, Emissions Gap Report, states that the world has so far failed to slow down climate change sufficiently. For the ocean, this means dying corals, migrating species and even higher temperatures. – Cod may abandon the North Sea and the Baltic Sea altogether, says Kerstin Johannesson, professor of marine ecology at the University of Gothenburg.
Climate change has caused tropical storms to increase in strength. One contributing factor is rising sea temperatures, which can give storms more power and lead to worse consequences for those affected.
Far out on the islands of the Stockholm archipelago, Elina Thorson and her team from SVA (the Swedish National Veterinary Institute) collect samples from dead seals to find out how the seals are actually doing. The question is what impact climate change and reduced ice cover are having on their health. Better than expected, as it turns out.
The Baltic Sea porpoise is currently endangered, with its population at historically low levels. The EU wants Sweden to implement measures to save it. But it turns out to be more difficult than expected.
A Swedish company has been authorised to investigate the possibility of extracting mineral nodules from the seabed in the Gulf of Bothnia. They are said to be important for the green transition. Researchers will now provide answers to how the extraction would affect the organisms living at the bottom of the sea.
It sneaks out oil and fills Russia’s war coffers. It is suspected of spying on Sweden. And it is feared that at any time it could cause a huge environmental disaster. Russia’s so-called shadow fleet – with a thousand anonymous ships – has grown explosively and poses a threat in several ways in the Baltic Sea.
When scientists study the Black Sea’s coastal seaweed forests, they often dive beneath the surface to see them in person. Formed by two species of brown algae in the genus Cystoseira, these ecosystems can look dull from a distance. “But when you actually dive deeper, you can see the biodiversity, and these various interesting invertebrates and fish species which are moving there,” says marine biologist Sofia Sadogurska.
Documentary filmmaker Johan Candert is at Bikini Atoll, diving into a strange sea. 80 years ago, the US detonated 23 nuclear bombs here, wiping out all life. But what Johan sees is a sea that is recovering. Life is coming back. This story was first published a year and a half ago. Since then, Johan […]
In 2015, an infamously-scofflaw fleet of more than 70 bottom trawlers from Thailand fished in the Saya De Malha Bank, a submerged plateau the size of Switzerland that lies in the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Seychelles. The trawlers dragged their nets over the ocean floor, scooping up various types of forage fish, as well as brushtooth lizardfish, round scad, and sharks. Their catch would be turned into protein-rich fishmeal that gets fed to chickens, pigs, and aquaculture fish.
For the past decade, the mining industry has argued that the ocean floor is an essential frontier for precious metals needed in the batteries used in cell phones and laptops. As companies eye the best patches of ocean to search for the precious sulfides and nodules, widely dubbed “truffles of the ocean,” the waters near the Saya de Malha Bank—a submerged plateau the size of Switzerland in the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Seychelles—have emerged as an attractive target.
When researchers talk about ‘missing data,’ they are referring to replacing previously estimated values with actual, real values in various explanatory models. This can be particularly important in climate change models. Even though approximate values provide a good picture of future climate change, the more reliable the measurement points are, the more robust the model becomes.
Does it make any difference to cod whether they are caught by a hook in their mouth or by a net? Off the Norwegian coast, researcher Marco Vindas and his team are lowering cages, nets and longlines to find the answer to that question. Which fishing method is worst and which is best – for cod? Now he has the answer.
Everything we do in the high sea, risks causing damage that cannot be repaired. That’s what a group of leading scientists say in a recent article published in the journal Nature. They say it’s damaging biodiversity, affecting the climate, and creating huge inequalities in how resources are shared. It is time, they write, that we decide to save the ocean.
US President Donald Trump has put the axe to the US National Weather Service (NOAA). The hijacking affects both international climate research and local forecasts, experts and staff warn. – It will cost us many lives, a former senior manager told TT.
In the fall, we reported on the sensational return of the blue mussel along the Swedish west coast. The mussel beds have spread to an extent where we have to go back in time to find an equivalent. But this has also created conditions for another species that feeds mainly on mussels – the common starfish, Asterias rubens. They have now invaded the mussel beds in an almost explosive way. And they have been joined by other species in the clam feast. Clams have a sophisticated way of escaping from predators, but starfish, on the other hand, have developed a counter-weapon. Join us on the battlefield of the west coast!
There have been rumours of large mysterious jelly balls floating around in the sea. For a long time, they have puzzled scientists. From northern Norway to the Mediterranean, around 100 records have been made since 1985. And three of these in Sweden. Our underwater photographer Tobias Dahlin has now made a fourth find, in the Gullmarsfjord in Bohuslän on the Swedish west coast, and he had his camera with him. We also meet Halldis Ringvold, a Norwegian marine biologist, who in 2021 revealed what’s really hidden inside the meter-long wondrous balls.
Researchers have now established that the harbor seals in the Kosterhavet area are becoming increasingly scarce. Last year, only half of the females gave birth to pups. This is according to research from the University of Gothenburg, following this year’s seal count. – We were very surprised. These low numbers cannot be dismissed year after year, says Karin Hårding, professor of zoological ecology at the University of Gothenburg and the leader of the project.
On the rocks in Bohuslän live small, discreet shells with special properties. Snail-collecting scientists have now received clues about what is crucial for species’ survival.
