Initiative against invasive species met at Kristineberg
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, and the Swedish Transport Administration gathered at Kristineberg Center to follow up on the nine research projects on invasive species that they’ve been funding since 2020. The meeting highlighted the critical importance of research in the fight against invasive species, with a special focus on the marine environment and nature-based solutions.
"Foreign invasive species are a growing environmental problem with significant ecological and economic consequences. Therefore, research to develop effective measures is extremely important, not least in the marine environment where it is complex and difficult to work," says Leon Green, researcher at the University of Gothenburg at Kristineberg Center and co-organizer of the meeting.
The meeting participants also had the opportunity to visit an area near the research station where they jointly tested one of the measures being investigated in the DYNAMO project - a transdisciplinary research project in collaboration between the University of Agder, University of Gothenburg, and IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. The activity was led by Åsa Strand from IVL, who is also active at Kristineberg Center.
"The management of invasive species must be done in conjunction with societal development. An example is the Pacific oyster, an invasive species that is economically important for both the oyster and tourism industry on the West Coast. The oysters are invasive but at the same time provide jobs and income to small-scale businesses. Therefore, researching the best way to manage them in different areas is important, not only for the marine environment but also for life in coastal communities," says Åsa Strand, senior researcher at IVL.
Four of the nine research projects in the initiative address invasive species in the sea. Two of the projects are conducted at Kristineberg Center by researchers from the University of Gothenburg and IVL. The projects are now entering their fourth and final year, and some research findings are already clear.
"We see that nature-based solutions can be cost-effective measures in the marine environment. This could involve promoting biodiversity through area protection to enhance competitiveness, or favoring specific animals that can eat invasive species. For example, we could protect predators that like to eat invasive crabs and gobies. At the same time, we also need to look ahead and try to predict how these predators will be affected by climate changes and exploitation, and how they can adapt to new species that have not yet arrived here," concludes Leon Green.
