Estuarine and marine pollution

Collaborating institute:

Prof. J.H. Stenersen. Biochemical Institute, University of Oslo, Blindern, Norway.

Project duration: 2009 - 2010

Keywords: Pollution, marine toxicology, green policies.

Project leader: Manzetti S.

Project description:
Fjord Tourism and sea traffic is in increasing demand from the travel agencies and tourists. Meanwhile, the demands to prohibit idling of cruise ships at dock are non-existing. Several harbors along the Norwegian coast receive hundreds of cruiseships which carry an average of 2,500 people each and can remain in the dock for up to 12 hours a day on idle. The amount of smog and particles from cruiseship at dock is overwhelming and highly toxic. A series of projects for municipalities and conties need to be established to ensure a safer environmental protection in the fjord landscape and to implement solutions such as electric connection to ships at dock.

Several towns and cities along the shore of Norwegian cost exert poor and weakly regulated policies for dumping of sewage. For further information, see the State of Environment at www.miljostatus.no. The effects of such procedures can only be measured in long-term monitoring studies carried out thoroughly and by routine. Fish stocks in the fjords have dropped significantly compared to only 10-15 years ago, and both sewage as other anthropogenic factors may play a role. These are key points for projects for the monitoring of the fjord ecosystems.

Hydroelectric power plants present a third and important human intervention factor. A net of 3TWh pr year are produced around the shores of the Sognefjord alone. Temperature, circulation and salinity aspects of the fjord as an ecosystem may be threatened, pinpointed by earlier studies from the 1980's, and the appearance of poisonous algae may be one of the many consequences in addition to the spawning disturbances. A series of studies need to be carried out to study properly the effect of hydroelectric power plants on the marine biology.

Fjord hydrodynamics compared to an active circulation of ocean currents are some of the keys to study pollution from ships, industrial-sources and other human sources that may threaten the environment. The fjords are among the most vulnerable ecosystems because they are long, narrow, deep, and often shallow at the opening of the sea, creating a "bathtub formation", where heavy metals, toxins and pollutants can remain in the fjords for decades. Studies that verify these aspects need to be planned and organized.

Algae, plankton, fish stocks and microbial life. Fjords, especially Hardanger and Sognefjord can be very deep, and at these depths exotic life forms thrive. Plankton and algae play a vital role in the delicate balance between the conversion of nitrogen compounds and other key elements in the ecological chains, where oxygen, sulfur and other gases regulate the ocean's life, pH and other factors. Question to whereas salinity plays a key role in healthy growth of fish embryos, and affects the type of algae and plankton that grow in the fjords are key issues to map. This so the sensitivity of the fjords to human intervention can be better monitored. These factors are poorly studied for fjords in general. The fjords are crucial systems for general marine life, and research on these vast ecosystems and their surroundings is therefore imminent to promote better environmental protection programs. In particularly Norway, where the coast is mostly encompassed by fjords, their function as both natural habitats, cultural and national icons makes it important to establish a specialized expertise and knowledge.

See relevant publications.

 

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