Study Area: Fehmarnbelt Fisheries Exclusion Zone in the Natura2000 Area

Figure: The German Baltic Sea coast, including the Bay of Mecklenburg and the Bay of Kiel. The Fehmarnbelt Natura2000 area is shown in yellow, and the no-fishing zone is shown in red.

Hydroacoustics: Trawl Fishing in the Baltic Sea

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Fehmarnbelt: Biodiversity of Benthic Communities

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Potential for Long-Term Carbon Storage in Marine Sediments

Organic carbon from the water column accumulates in the sediment on the seafloor. The microorganisms and animals in the benthos break down or partially reabsorb this carbon. However, over time, this organic carbon accumulates in the seafloor, which can create a natural carbon sink in the seafloor.

The disturbance of the seabed and the removal of biomass through bottom trawling disrupt natural processes in the ecosystem. The Baltic Sea has long been heavily fished, which is why no-fishing zones—such as those in the Fehmarnbelt—offer a unique opportunity. The KOFI project is now comparing the seabed in fished and unfished areas. The study is investigating whether, when disturbances from fishing are eliminated, more organic carbon will accumulate in the sediment as a result. To this end, a carbon sequestration rate will be determined, which, in combination with the sedimentation rate, indicates how much carbon is stored in the marine sediment each year.