Trawling restrictions not only benefits fish and shellfish; anemones and corals are also becoming more common, according to a new study from the University of Gothenburg.
Trawling restrictions not only benefits fish and shellfish; anemones and corals are also becoming more common, according to a new study from the University of Gothenburg. Twenty-six years of underwater videos from the depths of the Koster Sea also show long-term changes in the ecosystem as the water becomes warmer.
The marine wildlife in Kosterhavet National Park has changed rapidly in recent years. The introduction of trawling restrictions in the area for the national park during the last 25 years, brought about a change in the living conditions for the animals that live on the seabed.
“Animals that capture nutrients through filtration, such as mussels, anemones and soft corals, do not thrive when bottom trawls stir up sediment from the seabed. Several of these species have recovered significantly,” says Matthias Obst, researcher on marine ecosystems at the University of Gothenburg and research leader in the project.
Read More: University of Gothenburg
Image: Matthias Obst, researcher on marine ecosystems at the University of Gothenburg. (Credit: Malin Arnesson)
