NEWS Since 2021, funding for marine and aquatic environmental monitoring has decreased by 40 percent. In an opinion piece in Altinget, researchers warn that the cutbacks will lead to serious consequences.
Environment monitoring with KBV181
ImageAnna Palmbo-Bergman
The long time series of data from environmental monitoring (i.e., measurements that are repeated in the same way over a long period of time) form the basis for understanding what is happening in the sea. It is also the only way to detect changes in the environment, the researchers emphasize.
The cutbacks have been abrupt, leaving no time to make thoughtful priorities or analyze the consequences of the decisions.
"The number of sampling trips has already decreased and will be reduced further in 2025. When the long time series are interrupted, it will, among other things, take much longer to detect (positive or negative) changes in the marine environment."
In addition to making it harder to detect changes in the environment, Sweden is under pressure to evaluate several EU directives. According to the researchers, this risks leading to insufficient data collection, which may only superficially meet EU requirements, while making it impossible to track the effectiveness of measures and gain deeper knowledge about the marine environment.
On Altinget, you can read the full opinion piece (in Swedish): https://www.altinget.se/artikel/farligt-att-banta-ned-miljoovervakningen-av-ostersjon
The original article is authored by researchers from Stockholm University, Umeå University, Gothenburg University, the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment, SMHI, and SLU.