Oxygenation of a Dead Bottom on the Swedish West Coast – Rescue or Artificial Respiration

The seabed in Byfjorden on the Swedish West coast is completely dead below a depth of 15 metres. Limited water exchange, which means that oxygen is quickly consumed, combined with old sins from the Uddevalla shipyard, which has accumulated large amounts of heavy metals in the bottom sediments, has made life almost impossible down there. But a new project is bringing life back to the dead seabed.

For the past year and a half, a highly praised project has been underway to oxygenate the deep waters of Byfjorden. “Byfjordens Framtid”, the citizens’ initiative behind the project, tells how the fjord has been filled with life where it was previously dead.

Deep Sea Reporter has been down in Byfjorden to see where the pumping devices discharge at a depth of 42 metres.

Can the experiment help Uddevalla become a more attractive tourist destination? If so, at what cost?