ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS
Publications
Vaher, A., Kotta, J., Stechele, B., Kaasik, A., Herkül, K., Barboza, F. R. (2024). Modelling and mapping carbon capture potential of farmed blue mussels in the Baltic Sea region. Science of The Total Environment, 947, 174613, 0048-9697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174613.
Kotta, J., Stechele, B., Barboza, F. R., Kaasik, A., & Lavaud, R. (2023). Towards environmentally friendly finfish farming: A potential for mussel farms to compensate fish farm effluents. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60, 1314–1326. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14422.
Holbach A., Maar M., Timmermann K., Taylor D. (2020). A spatial model for nutrient mitigation potential of blue mussel farms in the western Baltic Sea. Science of the Total Environment 736:139624.
Schultz-Zehden, A et al; SUBMARINER Network Mussels Working Group, 2019. Mussel farming in the Baltic Sea as an environmental measure. Berlin, Germany
This report is a summary of the knowledge accumulated as result of the Interreg project Baltic Blue Growth.
The purpose of this report is to present the results and the effects that have been achieved with the development of Bornholm-based textile farming. The project started in July 2021 and was completed in April 2022.
Bita Forghani, Ann-Dorit Moltke Sørensen, Jens Jørgen Sloth, and Ingrid Undeland (2023). Liquid Side Streams from Mussel and Herring Processing as Sources of Potential Income. ACS Omega Article ASAP, DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07156
Event Reports
OTHER ARTICLES AND INFORMATION
Below, you will find additional resources, such as infographics and non-scientific articles. For more context, you can explore Baltic MUPPETS’ predecessor, Baltic Blue Growth.
Summary of results:
Generally the studies find that mussel farming improve water quality for all three types of fjords, here represented by Skive Fjord, As Vig and Venø Sund.
Reductions in chlorophyll concentration as high as 60-70% have been reported in the farms, with an average of 14-50% depending on the filtration capacity of the mussels and environmental conditions such as current, temperature and chlorophyll concentration (Nielsen et al. 2016, Petersen et al. 2019, Timmermann et al. 2019, Maar et al. 2020). Measurements of secchi depth in mussel farms show an improvement of 0.8-1.1, and up to 2.3 m (Maar et al. 2020). Furthermore, it has also been documented that increased sedimentation of organic material under the farms can lead to increased nutrient release locally (Carlsson et al. 2009, Holmer et al. 2015). Part of the nitrogen release is via denitrification, where increased denitrification rates of 25-260% have been measured under mussel farms compared to outside farms in e.g. Limfjorden and Horsens Fjord (Carlsson et al. 2012, Petersen et al. 2018, Hylén et al. 2020) due to biodeposition. It is also stated that at high sedimentation rates and low oxygen concentrations there may be a reduction or cessation of denitrification, whereby ammonium is retained in the system (Holmer et al. 2015, Petersen et al. 2018).
Effekten af muslingeopdraet paa danske fjordomraader (link to pdf)
This Toolkit was developed in the small-scale project Blue-Green BioLab Across the BSR with financing from Interreg Baltic Sea Region.
It is a generic manual supplemented with case-based briefs from the project partners where relevant biomasses (including mussels) were selected, methods for collaboration in workshops brought to use, and challenges identified in policy contexts. The methods were developed and tested in practice in Lysekil Municipality (SE), Skive Municipality (DK) and Zemgale Planning Region (LV).
Baltic Blue Growth laid the foundation for sustainable aquaculture in the Baltic Sea by establishing fully operational mussel farms to combat eutrophication and unlock blue growth potential. It was the predecessor of Baltic MUPPETS, which builds further on the experience, network, and technological advancements made to develop a sustainable and productive marine ecosystem.
Based on data and experiences collected at the mussel farms established by Baltic Blue Growth, the project’s main outputs included:
- Models and functional decision support tools on suitable farming sites and their production potential,
- Business plans and farming manuals for large scale mussel farms,
- A demonstration line for processing mussels into fish and poultry feed,
- A guide on licensing processes for mussel farming in the Baltic Sea Region,
- Recommendations on harmonised maritime spatial planning and ecosystem service compensation measures.
