NEWS Agneta Andersson and Nicholas Kamenos of Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, have been each awarded funding from the BalticWaters Foundation. Their research will answer questions to better understand the causes of eutrophication in the Bothnian Bay and where carbon stored in the Baltic's sediments comes from. Both projects aim to improve the conditions for sustainable management of the Baltic Sea.
For the third year in a row, the Baltic Waters Foundation is awarding research funds through the research projects and feasibility studies programme. The aim of the programme is to support the emergence of new knowledge facilitating measures that can lead to reduced eutrophication, functioning ecosystems and better management of our inland sea. This year, the foundation supports four projects that have the potential to contribute to a vibrant Baltic Sea. Two of these projects are led by researchers at Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University.
Sampling of sediments from the research vessel R/V Botnica in the Botnian Sea during algae blooms.
Image Peter Granlund/UMF“This funding provides an exciting opportunity to better understand the functioning and sustainable management of the northern parts of the Baltic Sea which are challenging to access. We are incredibly happy to be awarded two research grants in the same round providing a strong platform for making holistic advances in our understanding” says Nicholas Kamenos, director of Umeå Marine Sciences Centre and professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences at Umeå University.
Baltic eutrophication: The project led by Prof. Andersson will determine when eutrophication present in the southern Baltic will reach the Bothnian Bay which is in the northern Baltic. The Bothnian Bay has so far been spared from the harmful effects of eutrophication that the rest of the Baltic Sea is grappling with. However, results from the Swedish environmental monitoring campaigns indicate that phosphorus concentrations in the Bothnian Bay are about to increase. The cause is not clear, but a likely explanation is that phosphorous is being carried in water flowing northward into the Bothnian Bay.
Natural climate solution provision by the Baltic: The project led by Prof. Kamenos will determine the source of organic carbon stored in the Baltic Sea's sediments. The Baltic Sea naturally plays an important role in the uptake of carbon dioxide and the storage of carbon, which counteracts climate change. Up to 50% of the organic carbon buried in marine sediments may originally come from land, but we know very little about its source and quality. The goal of the project is to investigate the sources of the carbon buried in the Baltic Sea, which can contribute to an important piece of the puzzle for sustainable management of the Baltic Sea.
In total, the grant to the two projects is SEK 1,900,000. Both projects will run during 2025 and 2026.
