Tuna is usually caught using longlines, which the UN has classified as the fishing method with one of the highest levels of bycatch of all gear types. On average, bycatch in longline fishing accounts for more than a quarter (28%) of the total catch. Not only tuna are caught in the hooks, but also sharks, sea turtles, swordfish, seabirds, dolphins, juvenile fish, and other fish species. In the Azores, they have taken a different approach. By combining centuries-old craftsmanship with a large network of marine protected areas, they have managed to achieve both large catches and more fish remaining in the sea.
Deep Sea Reporter examines bottom trawling in marine protected areas – part one. The Swedish shrimp is both red-listed according to the Swedish Species Information Centre and has lost its MSC certification, yet trawling for shrimp continues even in marine protected areas. Deep Sea Reporter will examine the consequences of bottom trawling in two reportages. In part one, we dive into Gullmarsfjorden, Sweden’s first marine protected area and the country’s only threshold fjord with unique marine life.
Laws alone are not enough to stop global overfishing. That is the view of researcher Frida Bengtsson, who has investigated what else is needed to create a sustainable fishing industry.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has now decided on this year’s hunt for grey seals, harbour seals and ringed seals. Licensed hunting of grey seals will increase by 350 animals this year compared to last year, with a total of 1,350 grey seals allowed to be shot until the beginning of next year. The protective hunt for harbour seals and harbour porpoises remains at the same level as last year, with 200 ringed seals and 200 harbour porpoises.
Every year, a climate barometer is commissioned by WWF to present the views of different social groups on specific election issues. An ongoing study in Lund and Örebro shows preliminary figures suggesting that young people have put the climate issue behind them. Deep Sea Reporter spoke to young adults in Stockholm about their thoughts on the ocean and climate.
As the oceans warm, it becomes harder for fish in mangrove forests to breathe. This is shown by a unique new study from researchers at the University of Gothenburg. ‘In some systems, conditions will become so extreme that only the most adapted species will survive,’ says the study’s lead author, marine chemist Gloria Reithmaier.
The average sea level is 30 cm higher than previously thought. In some places, such as Southeast Asia, it is even higher, up to one and a half metres. New research has shown that previous calculations of sea levels were based on incorrect models that gave misleading results.
Over the past 20 years, macroalgae blooms have increased at an unprecedented rate. This is shown by a new study, which warns that the spread could lead to major changes in the ecology of the sea.
Keep Sweden Tidy has been working with various partners in Finland and Estonia to remove abandoned fishing gear from the Baltic Sea. At the same time, it has been raising awareness of the problem of ghost nets, amongst other things, among recreational anglers and the general public. Over the three years the project has been running, nearly 9,000 metres of ghost nets and over two tonnes of lost fishing gear have been retrieved from the sea.
The Baltic Sea is suffering from a serious ecological crisis. Above all, it is the high levels of phosphorus that cause oxygen-depleted areas and severe recurring algae blooms. Phosphorus is an essential element and an important component in agricultural fertilisers, but when it leaks into the Baltic Sea, it has a severe impact on the sea.
Far out on the islands of the Stockholm archipelago, Elina Thorson and her team from SVA (the Swedish National Veterinary Institute) collect samples from dead seals to find out how the seals are actually doing. The question is what impact climate change and reduced ice cover are having on their health. Better than expected, as it turns out.
The Baltic Sea porpoise is currently endangered, with its population at historically low levels. The EU wants Sweden to implement measures to save it. But it turns out to be more difficult than expected.
When scientists study the Black Sea’s coastal seaweed forests, they often dive beneath the surface to see them in person. Formed by two species of brown algae in the genus Cystoseira, these ecosystems can look dull from a distance. “But when you actually dive deeper, you can see the biodiversity, and these various interesting invertebrates and fish species which are moving there,” says marine biologist Sofia Sadogurska.
Ocean Devotion: Nuno Sá: ‘We need the sea’ Nuno Sá is one of the world’s leading underwater photographers, with around twenty awards from the world’s biggest nature photography competitions.
The Kunming-Montréal Framework was adopted at CBD COP15 in Montréal in 2022. By COP16, all countries were to develop an action plan on how to implement the targets included in the biodiversity framework, including the target of protecting 30 per cent of nature in the oceans and on land. Three years later, Sweden still does not have such an action plan.
The oldest recording of whale song to date has been discovered. This could open up new avenues of research into changes in whale behaviour, reports The Guardian.
Early in 2025, Holden Harris, Ph.D. was one of the hundreds of U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees fired by the Trump regime. Almost one year later, Trump wants to slash budgets for scientific and climate change research. But Congress has pushed back, passing a package of bills to maintain most research funding. The deadline for a budget agreement is January 30th. This is Holden Harris’s story.
When researchers talk about ‘missing data,’ they are referring to replacing previously estimated values with actual, real values in various explanatory models. This can be particularly important in climate change models. Even though approximate values provide a good picture of future climate change, the more reliable the measurement points are, the more robust the model becomes.
Does it make any difference to cod whether they are caught by a hook in their mouth or by a net? Off the Norwegian coast, researcher Marco Vindas and his team are lowering cages, nets and longlines to find the answer to that question. Which fishing method is worst and which is best – for cod? Now he has the answer.
Everything we do in the high sea, risks causing damage that cannot be repaired. That’s what a group of leading scientists say in a recent article published in the journal Nature. They say it’s damaging biodiversity, affecting the climate, and creating huge inequalities in how resources are shared. It is time, they write, that we decide to save the ocean.
Deep Sea Reporter examines bottom trawling in marine protected areas – part two. As a national park, Kosterhavet is covered by Sweden’s strongest nature conservation laws. On paper. In practice, extensive bottom trawling for shrimp is taking place, a fishing method that is considered one of the most destructive in the world.
Deep Sea Reporter examines bottom trawling in marine protected areas – part one. The Swedish shrimp is both red-listed according to the Swedish Species Information Centre and has lost its MSC certification, yet trawling for shrimp continues even in marine protected areas. Deep Sea Reporter will examine the consequences of bottom trawling in two reportages. In part one, we dive into Gullmarsfjorden, Sweden’s first marine protected area and the country’s only threshold fjord with unique marine life.
There have been rumours of large mysterious jelly balls floating around in the sea. For a long time, they have puzzled scientists. From northern Norway to the Mediterranean, around 100 records have been made since 1985. And three of these in Sweden. Our underwater photographer Tobias Dahlin has now made a fourth find, in the Gullmarsfjord in Bohuslän on the Swedish west coast, and he had his camera with him. We also meet Halldis Ringvold, a Norwegian marine biologist, who in 2021 revealed what’s really hidden inside the meter-long wondrous balls.
Researchers have now established that the harbor seals in the Kosterhavet area are becoming increasingly scarce. Last year, only half of the females gave birth to pups. This is according to research from the University of Gothenburg, following this year’s seal count. – We were very surprised. These low numbers cannot be dismissed year after year, says Karin Hårding, professor of zoological ecology at the University of Gothenburg and the leader of the project.
