SEAmBOTH project is nearing its end, and with it comes also final results. One of the main tasks of SEAmBOTH has been the identification of most valuable areas. In order to protect nature, we first need to know where valuable features are. The analysis flow how nature values can be defined, can look something like … Continue reading Nature values
Stoneworts, or Charales in scientific terms, is an order of green algae that is commonly found in the northern Bothnian Bay. They may look like ordinary vascular plants with stems and branches but are in fact algae. They can be found in freshwater, such as lakes, ponds, and rivers, as well as in brackish waters … Continue reading Stoneworts of the northern Bothnian Bay
The today's and future status of the northern Bothnian Bay is to a large extent decided by the laws regulating activities in and around it and the regulations stating what quality of environment we want and don't want. The sea is the same but the legal framework looks different in Sweden and Finland. One thing … Continue reading One Bothnian Bay, and a sea of laws regulating it…
S/V Ocean Surveyor with crew arrived at the old industry port at Seskarö, an island not far from Haparanda, in the beginning of August. New for this year’s field work is that the launch vessel Ugglan have been equipped with a multibeam echosounder, the EM2040C. After some initial testing and calibration the echosounder proved to … Continue reading S/V Ocean Surveyor Reporting From the Bothnian Bay
The mysterious aquatic leaf beetle Macroplea pubipennis has become quite familiar to us these last two summers. Not a lot is known about these beetles. Two years ago, we didn’t even know they existed in Sweden and they were known to occur only in Finland and China (of all places). As observation sites in the … Continue reading Searching for Macroplea pubipennis
In our last week's blog you could read about flads; how they are formed, why they are so valuable and a bit about the challenges that concern conserving these important habitats. Now we want to introduce you to a specific flad that we have discovered in our underwater nature inventories and discuss its future. Although … Continue reading Flads of Salmisudden
During a couple of sunny days in spring we had the opportunity to go out and learn more about one of the most iconic fish species of the Bothnian Bay - the grayling - and it's favourite habitat on the exposed, rocky shores. Together with our fish expert collegues we searched for grayling eggs along … Continue reading Exposed rocky shorelines – a grayling favourite
Zonation is a quantitative decision support tool for spatial conservation planning, developed for solving various problems around spatial management and resource allocation. Zonation was developed in CBIG – Conservation Biology Informatics Group in the department of Biosciences of the University of Helsinki. The team was led by the professor Atte Moilanen who is currently part … Continue reading ZONATION – PLANNERS’ LITTLE HELPER
The deep sea floors are in constant darkness which means no plants can grow there. But that doesn't mean it's a place empty of life. During the autumn of 2018 SGU (the Geological Survey of Sweden) and partner in the SEAmBTOH project, conducted a survey cruise in the archipelago of Haparanda to map the depths … Continue reading Who lives at the bottom of the sea?
When thinking about the sea one probably first thinks about the sound of waves and after that, the calls of seabirds. Birds are a large part of the nature at sea, but seldom a thought is given to how they are a part of the underwater ecology. So, let’s give some thought to how birds … Continue reading Seabirds – a part of the sea
SEAmBOTH 