DAM Pilot mission: Effects of the exclusion of mobile bottom-contacting fishing activities in marine protected areas of the Baltic Sea (MGF-OSTSEE)

Besides cyanobacteria, the microphytobenthos community of the Baltic Sea is dominated by diatoms like Hantzschia amphioxys. © (Lina) Anh Tu Van
With the research vessel „Elisabeth Mann Borgese“, the first campaign was realized in May 2020. Besides samples to investigate the biodiversity of the benthic community, the researchers from the DAM pilot mission got a first overview about the morphology and biogeochemistry of the sediments. © Submaris

Bottom-contacting fishing activities (trawling) have a strong impact on the biodiversity and material fluxes in and on the sediment. Due to the resuspension of material, trawling can not only influence benthic community, but also impacts the water column by resuspending nutrients and harmful substances. Although the Baltic Sea possess only few protected areas where bottom-contacting fishing is forbidden, little is known about the impact of trawling on marine sediments. The exclusion of mobile bottom-contacting fishing activities in the Natura 2000 area for the first time enables to extensively investigate the impact of the exclusion of MGF on the sediment structure and functions. Within the framework of the DAM pilot mission, comprehensive knowledge about the biotic components like microphytobenthos, meiofauna and bacteria, as well as sediment structure and food webs will be generated, in order to provide a base line for the adjustment of fishery management strategies in the future.

The work package 2.3 is part of the DAM pilot mission, analyzing the diversity and function of microphytobenthos in the Baltic Sea. The phototrophic community provides a significant portion of the total marine primary production, and is dominated by cyanobacteria and diatoms. Besides the close interaction of the microphytobenthos with bacteria and heterotrophic protists, the meio- and macrofauna is also directly influenced by the phototrophic community, for instance, serving as food source. Moreover, by producing oxygen via photosynthesis, the microphytobenthos has a strong impact on the gas exchange in between the sediment-water interface. While the structure and diversity of the microphytobenthos can also be naturally influenced by bioturbation, the human impact by bottom-contacting fishing activity is substantial. So far, only scarce data on the biodiversity, structure and primary production of the microphytobenthos in the Baltic Sea is available. Therefore, one aim of the DAM- pilot mission is a comprehensive monitoring of areas, which are undisturbed, in comparison to reference areas strongly influenced by MGF.

Funding

BMBF - Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

 

Responsible persons

Prof. Dr. Ulf Karsten

Marjan Janßen

 

Project coordination

Prof. Dr. Klaus Jürgens, Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde (IOW)

 

Cooperation partners

Leibniz Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde (IOW)

     Prof. Dr. Klaus Jürgens

     Prof. Dr. Michael Böttcher

     Dr. Peter Feldens

     Dr. Mayya Gogina

     Dr. Judith Piontek

     Dr. Thomas Neumann

Universität Rostock

     PD Dr. Stefan Forster

     Prof. Dr. Hendrik Schubert

     Prof. Dr. Ulf Karsten

DZMB Senckenberg am Meer Wilhelmshaven

     Dr. Kai George

Universität zu Köln

     Prof. Dr. Hartmut Arndt

Thünen-Institut für Ostseefischerei

     Dr. Christian v. Dorrien

     Dr. Daniel Oesterwind

     Dr. Christopher Zimmermann

Helmholtz Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel (GEOMAR)

     Dr. Stefan Sommer 

Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ

     Dr. Jens Kallmeyer

 

Funding number

FKZ 03F0848B

 

Funding period

2020-2023