A new decision‑support tool for a changing sea
Pressure on the sea is increasing, yet we still have an incomplete picture of how various activities affect the marine environment. The DYNAMITE research project takes a holistic approach to provide decision-making support that strengthens the authorities' ability to make sustainable decisions for a thriving sea – both today and in the future.
We depend on a healthy sea and well-functioning ecosystems for food, energy and biodiversity. At the same time, pressure on the sea is increasing in the form of extensive shipping, the expansion of offshore wind power and industrial fishing.
Different factors do not affect the sea in isolation, but reinforce one another and, ultimately, the negative impact on marine life. For example, noise from shipping can hinder the recovery of fish populations when shipping lanes pass through key breeding and nursery areas.
If we do not have a holistic view of how different activities affect the sea, we risk making decisions that have devastating consequences – important natural values that we take for granted may be lost.
This is where DYNAMITE comes into the picture – a research project within Formas Blue transformation initiative. The project is led by Ida-Maja Hassellöv, Professor of Maritime Environmental Science at Chalmers, who has long worked to highlight the environmental impact of shipping.
"Pressure on the sea is increasing rapidly. If shipping, energy extraction and fishing are to develop without undermining the marine environment, we need tools that provide a clearer picture of how these various activities collectively affect the sea. At present, we lack that overview," says Ida-Maja.
Focus on the environmental impact of shipping
Shipping is a clear example of an activity that has grown significantly and has a major impact on the marine environment, yet one whose environmental impact has, for a long time, been largely overlooked in maritime spatial planning.
"Shipping is regulated at a global level but does not require authorisation from a maritime spatial planning perspective. Consequently, there is no requirement to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the overall impact in a specific marine area. This is a gap we wish to fill,” says Ida-Maja.
Every year, thousands of ships pass through our waters, often right through areas that are important for porpoises and birds, where fish spawn, or where the seabed is particularly sensitive. Despite this, no environmental permit is required to operate in an area, and emissions and noise from shipping are not assessed collectively in the same way as land-based industries.
“We already know that shipping is a significant source of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea. It is a source that we can actually regulate,” says Ida-Maja.
A dynamic decision-support tool for maritime spatial planning
DYNAMITE brings together researchers, communicators and policy experts from Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Gothenburg, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Södertörn University, the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment and BalticWaters. It is an unusually broad initiative that combines marine environmental science, advanced modelling, risk analysis, management, strategic communication and policy development. Today, many sectors still work with their own data, models and decision-making processes, which means that the cumulative impact on the sea often falls between the cracks.
By analysing how different activities collectively affect the marine environment and ecosystem services, we can manage these activities more effectively to prevent damage.
“There is a great deal of data on the ocean, but it is scattered, is not always used in conjunction with other data, and, moreover, we are seeing a trend whereby stricter security policy considerations are restricting access to data. This means we risk making decisions that do not take the bigger picture into account,” says Ida-Maja.
DYNAMITE aims to help structure and facilitate the integration of data, methods and models, in relation to the roles and responsibilities of the relevant authorities, industry representatives and other stakeholders within Swedish marine environmental management. The aim is to create a system in which the needs and expertise of different sectors are taken into account from a holistic perspective and can be used to make more sustainable decisions.
The DYNAMITE project team is a broad group of researchers, communicators and policy experts. Photo: Christian Löwhagen
How is DYNAMITE going to achieve this?
The project is based on the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management’s Symphony tool, which is used to support the balancing of different interests in the marine environment. The tool is currently based on data reported once every six years, whilst DYNAMITE is set to create a more dynamic framework that can be fed with new data, link together more types of impact and be used to test future scenarios, such as increased shipping, expanded wind power or changing climatic conditions.
To create this holistic picture, the project uses a conceptual model called DAPSIR, which allows the relationships between various human activities, environmental pressures, the state of ecosystems, impacts and possible measures to be structured. This makes it possible to better assess the overall impact of different activities and identify where measures will be most effective.
Everything is carried out in close collaboration with public authorities and the relevant industries, to ensure that the tool will actually be used.
“There are already over 40 tools that have been developed for maritime spatial planning but are never used. We don’t want to be number 41. That’s why it’s crucial that those who will be using the decision-support tool are involved from the outset,” explains Ida-Maja.
Towards a holistic approach to maritime spatial planning
The end result of DYNAMITE will be an improved decision-making tool for maritime spatial planning. The tool will take into account where ecosystems are most vulnerable, in order to minimise the environmental impact of various activities.
“We want to provide decision-makers with a tool that enables them to anticipate the consequences as best they can before they arise. That is how we can avoid creating new problems in the sea,” says Ida-Maja.
In Sweden, the tool could help to suggest that shipping lanes be rerouted away from sensitive spawning grounds and important bird areas, that wind farms be sited where they cause the least damage, and that fishing be steered away from sensitive areas.
“Many such proposals, however, require international support. But if we succeed in providing a solid basis for bringing about change, this could also have a significant impact internationally. Many countries are grappling with the same problems: fragmented data, increasing shipping traffic and rapid changes in the ocean,” says Ida-Maja.