Within BALANCE, large-scale mapping of the Baltic Sea bed has been conducted, and several detailed modelling exercises on the distribution of different species have been undertaken. BALANCE was an Interreg IIIb project with participants from 10 countries in the Baltic Sea region.
Map material has been used to evaluate the localisation of resolved marine reserves, as well as to further develop methods to optimise planning from an environmental protection standpoint and to minimise conflicting interests.
Within the project, AquaBiota has performed spatial modelling of the habitat of Norway lobster in Skagerrak on the Swedish west coast. As input data for the modelling, Sediment Profile Images were used whereby, via photographing the bottom sediment, the number of Norway lobster burrows in each sampling point could be calculated. As background data in the modelling, a detailed bathymetric map was used as well as the type of bottom sediment retrieved from backscatter-data. The results are reported to BALANCE and will be presented in BALANCE Interim Report no. 20 that is in production.
AquaBiota, in collaboration with NIVA, has also conducted a modelling study of the distribution of tangle ( Laminaria hyperborea ) along the Skagerrak coast of Norway . The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of using data from annual environmental monitoring as a basis for spatial modelling of species. This data was found to be unsuitable for this purpose because it included too few stations.
AquaBiota’s modellering studies are described in:
Dinesen, G.D. et. al. 2008: Mapping and modelling of marine habitats in the Baltic Sea region. BALANCE interim report 27. Draft.
Other reports from the project:
Bergström U, Evertson J, Karås P, Sandström A, Sundblad G & Wennberg S. 2007: Evaluation of satellite imagery as a tool to characterise shallow habitats in the Baltic Sea. Balance interim report no. 12.
Bergström U, Sandström A, Sundblad G. 2007: Fish habitat modelling in a Baltic Sea archipelago region. Balance interim report no. 11.
More information can be found at BALANCE home page
