Methane from the exploded Nord Stream pipeline has spread to large parts of the southern Baltic Sea. Over 20 marine protected areas are affected. This is shown by a new study. – How long the methane stayed in the sea and how far it was able to spread was quite striking to me, says Bastien Queste, associate professor in oceanography and co-author of the study.
Methane from the exploded Nord Stream pipeline has spread to large parts of the southern Baltic Sea. Over 20 marine protected areas are affected. This is according to a new study. - ‘How long the methane stayed in the sea and how far it could spread was quite striking to me,’ says Bastien Queste, associate professor of oceanography and co-author of the study.
With a large number of sampling bottles and special equipment from Germany, researchers from the University of Gothenburg are now on the Baltic Sea. The aim is to investigate the levels of methane gas following the Nord Stream leak and to find out the consequences for marine life.
On September 26th, both Nord Stream gas pipes ruptured, leading to enormous gas leaks outside of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. Voice of the Ocean Foundation and University of Gothenburg quickly set up operations to monitor both what was happening from an oceanographic point of view, and also the methane directly. To see how it spread and how it remained over time.
Nord Stream was subjected to gross sabotage, the prosecutor confirms in a press release. Explosives have been found on several foreign objects.
Three underwater robots are currently searching the waters around the Nord Stream leaks. The idea is that the robots will provide new information about how the methane emissions from the gas pipelines affect the marine environment
