Swedish West Coast Research Articles

Identifying Suitable Sites for Macroalgae Cultivation on the Swedish West Coast

Special attention has been paid to sustainable macroalgae cultivation in Europe. The question on where suitable cultivation areas lie, without conflicting with current marine socio-economic activities and respecting the environment, remains a great challenge. Considering 13 criteria critical to seaweed farming such as depth, shipping traffic, and distance to ports, this paper aimed to identify suitable and sustainable offshore areas on the West Coast of Sweden for the cultivation of the Sugar Kelp, Saccharina latissima. An integrated approach with the tools geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria analysis (MCA) was used to aggregate the criteria by means of Boolean and weighted linear combination (WLC) techniques. The Boolean method singled out 544 km2 as suitable, whereas the WLC method indicated 475 km2 as highly suitable. Both techniques complement each other in finding optimal sites. Furthermore, the integrated models excelled in providing an overview for effective spatial decision-making that fosters sustainable development of macroalgae cultivations within marine and coastal systems.HighlightsTo the authors’ knowledge no study on seaweed aquaculture site selection has been conducted using such a range of criteria with the purpose of including sustainability aspects within a comparative GIS-MCDA.The large areas identified on the West Coast of Sweden as suitable highlight the potential of this new industry and the complexity of associated marine spatial planning.Boolean and weighted linear combination methods were applied and compared, providing valuable insights in the selection of methods for spatial decision-making support. These insights should support a more sustainable development of macroalgae cultivation in the region, as well as a more resilient marine spatial planning process for blue growth strategies.

Whole Genome Sequence of Marinobacter salarius Strain SMR5, Shown to Promote Growth in its Diatom Host.

Attempts to obtain axenic cultures of the marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi often result in poor growth, indicating the importance of the microbiome to the growth of its host. In order to identify the precise roles played by these associated bacteria, individual strains were isolated, cultured and sequenced. We report the genome of one such strain - SMR5, isolated from a culture of S. marinoi strain R05AC sampled from top layer sediments of the Swedish west coast. Its genome of 4,630,160 bp consists of a circular chromosome and one circular plasmid, and 4,263 CDSs were inferred in the annotation. Comparison of 16S rRNA sequences and other markers, along with phylotaxonomic analysis, leads us to place strain SMR5 in the taxon Marinobacter salarius. Pathway analysis and previous experimental work suggest that this strain may produce a growth factor, as well as improve iron availability for its host via siderophores.

Local cod (Gadus morhua) revealed by egg surveys and population genetic analysis after longstanding depletion on the Swedish Skagerrak coast

Abstract Dramatic and persistent reductions in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are common in many coastal areas. While offshore cod stocks still were abundant and productive, the Swedish west coast showed signs of diminishing adult cod abundance at the beginning of the 1980s, where the local cod component was considered to be extirpated. To survey the present cod spawning activity and stock composition, we initiated egg trawling over two consecutive years (203 hauls in total) in combination with population genetic analyses (425 individually genotyped eggs). Here, we provide evidence of cod spawning at the Swedish Skagerrak coast, suggesting recolonization or that local cod has recovered from a nearly depleted state. Early stage eggs were found inside fjords too far to have been transported by oceanic drift from offshore spawning areas. The cod eggs were genetically similar in early to late life-stages and cluster mainly with the local adult cod, indicating that eggs and adults belong to the same genetic unit. The cod eggs were genetically differentiated from adult North Sea cod, and, to a lesser degree, also from the Kattegat and Öresund cod, i.e. indicating a possible recovery of local coastal stock. The patterns of the genetic structure in the inshore areas are, however, difficult to fully disentangle, as Atlantic cod in the North Sea-Skagerrak area seem to be a mixture of co-existing forms: local cod completing their entire life cycle in fjords and sheltered areas, and oceanic populations showing homing behaviours. The egg abundances are considerably lower compared with what is found in similar studies along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. Nevertheless, the discovery of locally spawning cod along the Swedish west coast—although at low biomasses—is an encouraging finding that highlights the needs for endurance in protective measures and of detailed surveys to secure intraspecific biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Dinoflagellate cysts from the ‘Anthropocene’ of Gullmar Fjord, west coast of Sweden and their potential for monitoring climate change

A small set of samples from Gullmar Fjord, on the west coast of Sweden, together with published data, has allowed the investigation of the ‘Anthropocene’ within the fjord. The dinoflagellate cyst record and its statistical analysis fails to show any marked changes within the assemblages either across the proposed boundary or indeed within the youngest sediments at the top of the sequence. However there are some small scale differences in the youngest assemblages that are of interest. In particular these include quantitative shifts in the numbers of some of the species especially Pentapharsodinium dalei, which may be indicative of somewhat cooler environments linked to the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and extra availability of nutrients from Ekman pumping. These small scale shifts in the assemblages point to clear dynamism within the phytoplankton populations reacting to both anthropogenic and natural environmental change; evidence of the complexity of the system.The proven utility of dinoflagellate cysts in charting climate change throughout both the Pleistocene and Holocene within Gullmar Fjord, and elsewhere along the west coast of Sweden is in marked contrast to the little change at the ‘Anthropocene’ boundary. Nonetheless the geographical position of the fjords along the Skagerrak are ideal to monitor environmental change within the North Sea basin and perhaps further afield in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean; especially since further climate change threatens regime change within the marine environment affecting tourism, industry and mariculture along the coast.

Mastogloia wulffii, a new diatom (Bacillariophyceae) from the west coast of Sweden

While collecting epiphytic diatom samples from the west coast of Sweden, a small Mastrogloia species has been observed and could not be matched with any of the described taxa. Based on both light and electron microscopes examination, this species has been described as new, Mastogloia wulffii sp. nov. and included in Mastogloia section Sulcatae. This species is very small with valve length not exceeding 16.3 µm. It is characterized by having a narrow, almost straight median depression on both sides of the sternum-raphe, no marginal ridge and with rounded areolae on valve mantle as well as having completely hyaline lateral sterna. A comparison with similar taxa is given. M. wulffii is a marine species growing in moderate numbers on the red alga Polyides rotunda which is widely distributed along the coast of Vrango Island, Sweden.

Temperate fish community variation over seasons in relation to large-scale geographic seascape variables

In shallow-water marine environments, ecosystem functioning is a complex interworking of fine-scale characteristics and region-wide factors, and the importance of these variables can vary on multiple temporal and spatial scales. This underwater video study targeted seasonal changes in the fish community of seagrass habitats along the Swedish west coast and the influence of offshore seascape variables (latitudinal position, wave exposure, open ocean, and deep water). Results showed that fish assemblage structure exhibited seasonal changes between summer and autumn and strong spatiotemporal variations in the importance of offshore factors affecting shallow-water fish communities. In summer, abundance from the Gobiidae family responded to wave exposure, whereas the Gadidae family and juvenile migrant habitat preference guild responded to latitudinal position and proximity to deep water. In autumn, deep water was related to abundance of Gadidae and juvenile migrants, whereas latitudinal position influenced Gasterosteidae. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the influence of offshore factors on facets of coastal fish assemblages to address large-scale geographic connectivity along nearshore–offshore gradients.

Increased current flow enhances the risk of organic carbon loss from Zostera marina sediments: Insights from a flume experiment

AbstractHydrodynamic processes are important for carbon storage dynamics in seagrass meadows, where periods of increased hydrodynamic activity could result in erosion and the loss of buried carbon. To estimate hydrodynamic impacts on the resuspension of organic carbon (Corg) in seagrass‐vegetated sediments, we exposed patches (0.35 × 0.35 cm) of Zostera marina (with different biomass, shoot densities, and sediment properties) to gradually increased unidirectional (current) flow velocities ranging from low (5 cm s−1) to high (26 cm s−1) in a hydraulic flume with a standardized water column height of 0.12 m. We found that higher flow velocities substantially increased (by more than threefold) the proportion of Corg in the suspended sediment resulting in a loss of up to 5.5% ± 1.7% (mean ± SE) Corg from the surface sediment. This was presumably due to increased surface erosion of larger, carbon‐rich detritus particles. Resuspension of Corg in the seagrass plots correlated with sediment properties (i.e., bulk density, porosity, and sedimentary Corg) and seagrass plant structure (i.e., belowground biomass). However, shoot density had no influence on Corg resuspension (comparing unvegetated sediments with sparse, moderate, and dense seagrass bed types), which could be due to the relatively low shoot density in the experimental setup (with a maximum of 253 shoots m−2) reflecting natural conditions of the Swedish west coast. The projected increase in the frequency and intensity of hydrodynamic forces due to climate change could thus negatively affect the function of seagrass meadows as natural carbon sinks.

Prospecting the sustainability implications of an emerging industrial symbiosis network

In order to enable industrial symbiosis (IS) as an approach for regional sustainable development, it is important that stakeholders involved in facilitating symbiotic exchanges can measure and comprehend the potential benefits and impacts. However, previous assessments have been sporadic and limited to only a few indicators, primarily focused only on existing IS examples or networks and very few have examined potential developments. This study expands the assessment of IS networks by reviewing the environmental and socio-economic implications of an emerging network on the west coast of Sweden using life cycle assessment and socio-economic assessments to illustrate the implications for the firms of the network and regional sustainability. The results suggest that the IS network has the potential to make a positive contribution to the environmental performance of the industries and the socio-economic status of the region. Of key importance is the potential to cascade the use of nutrients and avoid large eutrophication impacts to the neighboring sea in addition to the large greenhouse gas emissions reductions by avoiding and replacing conventional processes and products. The socio-economic assessment illustrated that the IS network could make a substantial contribution to the region for job creation, revenues, local skills base, research and innovation and regional identity. The results provide insights on the potential of industrial symbiosis for regional sustainable development, which may be important for decision makers, firms involved in the network and municipalities, nationally and internationally to advance local efforts with facilitating industrial symbiosis and to understand how these networks can be assessed.

Influence of thermooxidative degradation on the in situ fate of polyethylene in temperate coastal waters

Polyethylene is a commonly used polymer in plastic products and is often found as marine litter. Nevertheless there is limited knowledge about what happens to the material when it ends up in the sea. Polyethylene films were therefore thermally oxidised to four different levels of degradation. The films were then placed in stainless-steel cages in the sea off the Swedish west coast for 12 summer weeks. Subsamples were analysed with respect to biofouling, degradation and buoyancy. All levels showed a continued oxidation in the field. The pre-degraded films started fragmenting and the non-degraded films showed a decrease in tensile strain. All levels showed increased biofouling with higher presence of filamentous algae and bryozoans on pre-degraded materials. The density (kg·m−3) of the films was seen to increase slightly, and the apparent density for the pre-degraded films (density of the films with biofilm) showed a strong increase, which resulted in sinking.

Mobility and exchange in the Middle Neolithic: Provenance studies of Pitted Ware and Funnel Beaker pottery from Jutland, Denmark and the west coast of Sweden

This paper presents the results of a ceramics study that forms part of a larger research project, “CONTACT”. The aim of this study was to trace the provenance of pottery found at Middle Neolithic sites on both sides of the Kattegat and to discuss possible pottery exchange between Jutland in Denmark and the west coast of Sweden. A combination of pXRF, ICP-MA/ES and thin-section analyses was applied to 524 Funnel Beaker culture (FBC) and Pitted Ware culture (PWC) sherds to investigate their fabric and technology. The different analyses supplemented each other well: The elemental composition of the ceramic material evident from both the XRF and ICP analyses was appropriate for determining the provenance of the clay, while the thin sections gave an indication of techniques recipes and materials employed in pottery production. The PWC pottery proved to be more heterogeneous than the FBC pottery, and several plausible explanations are suggested for this. Some regional exchange was observed, but only two vessels were identified, which could have crossed the Kattegat.

Two new European species of the marine genus Tubificoides (Annelida: Clitellata: Naididae) with notes on the morphology of T. pseudogaster (Dahl, 1960)

Two new species of Tubificoides (subfamily Tubificinae), T. charlotteae n. sp. and T. mackiei n. sp., are described based on morphological analyses. Both species were flagged as potentially cryptic in a previous investigation, based on both mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data. Tubificoides charlotteae n. sp., known only from an intertidal site in southern Spain, is characterized by the lack of cuticular papillation, the possession of several needle-like hair chaetae in dorsal bundles, a cone-shaped penis sheath, and a rather large, muscular penial sac. It strongly resembles the north-west European, largely sublittoral species T. amplivasatus, but differs from this species in terms of body size, width of vas deferens, and the shape and size of both the ejaculatory duct and penial sac. Tubificoides mackiei n. sp., collected from the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, is characterized by the lack of cuticular papillae and hair chaetae, and the possession of a rather long penis sheath with a wide terminal opening. It shares several morphological features with the sympatric species Tubificoides pseudogaster, but is distinguished from the latter by the detailed morphology and length of the penis sheaths, the width of the atrium, and the lower maximal number of bifid chaetae in dorsal preclitellar bundles. The utility of an integrative comparative approach, combining molecules and morphology, for the identification and delineation of new taxa within Tubificoides is briefly discussed.

The impact of seaweed cultivation on ecosystem services - a case study from the west coast of Sweden

Seaweed cultivation attracts growing interest and sustainability assessments from various perspectives are needed. The paper presents a holistic qualitative assessment of ecosystem services affected by seaweed cultivation on the Swedish west coast. Results suggest that supporting, regulating and provisioning services are mainly positively or non-affected while some of the cultural services are likely negatively affected. The analysis opens for a discussion on the framing of seaweed cultivation – is it a way of supplying ecosystem services and/or a way of generating valuable biomass? Exploring these framings further in local contexts may be valuable for identifying trade-offs and designing appropriate policies and development strategies. Many of the found impacts are likely generalizable in their character across sites and scales of cultivation, but for some services, including most of the supporting services, the character of impacts is likely to be site-specific and not generalizable.

Development of a qPCR assay to detect and quantify ichthyotoxic flagellates along the Norwegian coast, and the first Norwegian record of Fibrocapsa japonica (Raphidophyceae)

Blooms of ichthyotoxic microalgae pose a great challenge to the aquaculture industry world-wide, and there is a need for fast and specific methods for their detection and quantification in monitoring programs. In this study, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays for the detection and enumeration of three ichthyotoxic flagellates: the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi (Miyake & Kominami ex Oda) Hansen & Moestrup and the two raphidophytes Heterosigma akashiwo (Hada) Hada ex Hara & Chihara and Fibrocapsa japonica Toriumi & Takano were developed. Further, a previously published qPCR assay for the dinoflagellate Karlodinium veneficum (Ballantine) Larsen was used. Monthly samples collected for three years (Aug 2009–Jun 2012) in outer Oslofjorden, Norway were analysed, and the results compared with light microscopy cell counts. The results indicate a higher sensitivity and a lower detection limit (down to 1 cell L−1) for both qPCR assays. Qualitative and semi-quantitative results were further compared with those obtained by environmental 454 high throughput sequencing (HTS, metabarcoding) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination from the same samplings. All four species were detected by qPCR and HTS and/or SEM in outer Oslofjorden (Aug 2009–Jun 2012); Karlodinium veneficum was present year-round, whereas Karenia mikimotoi, Heterosigma akashiwo and Fibrocapsa japonica appeared mainly during the autumn in all three years. This is the first observation of Fibrocapsa japonica in Norwegian coastal waters. This species has previously been recorded off the Swedish west coast and German Bight, which may suggest a northward dispersal.

Copper release rate needed to inhibit fouling on the west coast of Sweden and control of copper release using zinc oxide

How zinc oxide influences copper release has been tested and the lowest release rate of copper from various combinations of copper and zinc in a paint matrix evaluated, whilst still deterring macrofouling, including barnacles and bryozoans. Copper (I) oxide was added to a generic AF paint in 0, 8.5, 11.7 or 16.3 wt% copper oxide in combination with 0, 10 or 20 wt% zinc oxide and applied on PMMA panels. The results show that zinc influences the release rate of copper. When 10 and 20 wt% zinc was added, the total amount of copper released significantly increased by on average 32 and 47% respectively. All treatments that included copper were successful in deterring macrofouling, including the treatment with the lowest average Cu release rate, ie 4.68 μg cm−2 day−1.

Local Regime Shifts Prevent Natural Recovery and Restoration of Lost Eelgrass Beds Along the Swedish West Coast

Along the Swedish northwest coast, over 60% of the eelgrass meadows have been lost since the 1980s. Despite improved water quality, no recovery has occurred, and restoration is presently considered to mitigate historical losses. However, the factors preventing natural recovery of eelgrass are not known, and it is not clear if conditions would allow restoration. Here, we present the results from 5 years of field studies with the aim of identifying the key processes affecting eelgrass growth and survival at historical eelgrass areas. Continuous light measurements and comparison with historic eelgrass distribution indicate that maximum depth distribution has decreased locally with 1.5–2.3 m in areas that have lost large eelgrass beds in the last 10–30 years. Field studies suggest that wind-driven local resuspension of sediments that are no longer stabilized by eelgrass beds is the main cause behind the deteriorated light conditions. Field experiments show that a combination of low light condition and disturbance from drifting algal mats prevents eelgrass recovery in these areas, whereas the sulfide intrusion from the sediment and dislodgement of shoots by waves had little effect on growth and survival. These results suggest that local regime shifts acting on a scale of 40–200 ha have occurred after the loss of eelgrass beds, where increased sediment resuspension and proliferation of drifting algal mats act as feedback mechanisms that prevent both natural recovery and restoration of eelgrass. The feedbacks appear to be interacting and causing an accelerating loss of eelgrass that is presently spreading to neighboring areas.

28th International Conference on Low Temperature Physics (LT28)

Conference summaryThe International Conference on Low Temperature Physics is an international meeting held every three years, under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) through its Commission C5 on Low Temperature Physics. The aim of these conferences is to exchange information and views among the members of the international scientific community in the general field of low temperature physics. It is a tradition that the breadth of scientific research that takes place at low temperatures and makes use of, or contributes to, low temperature physics technologies, finds a commonality in this international conference series. The LT28 conference was organized in this tradition to provide updates on various topics by distinguished researchers in their fields, including plenary and half-plenary talks, invited and contributed oral presentations, and posters. The conference covered five subtopics which have evolved since the last few conferences in this series. These are Quantum fluids and solids, Superconductivity, Cryogenic techniques and applications, Magnetism and quantum phase transitions, and Quantum transport and quantum information.Gothenburg is situated in the center of Scandinavia, on the Swedish west coast, and is easily accessed by air. The city’s two universities, Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, were the official conference hosts. Both have a long tradition in low temperature physics research, particularly superconductivity, quantum transport, and quantum information.

Abstract P4-06-15: Targeted sequencing of BRCA1/2 across a large unselected breast cancer cohort in Sweden

Abstract Background Observed BRCA1/2 mutation frequencies can vary depending on the population screened, screening criteria, founder effects, and methods used for testing. We aimed at examining BRCA1/2 germline mutations, identified through targeted sequencing, in a large unselected breast cancer population in Sweden. Methods Sequencing libraries of germline DNA from 5122 breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2001-2008 (LIBRO1) were prepared (48.48 Fluidigm Access Array system, Fluidigm Corp, USA) and sequenced (Next-generation sequencing [NGS], Illumina HiSeq 2500, v2 chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK). A total of 5099 samples (97.8%) passed quality control and were analysed. BRCA1/2 carriers identified by NGS were compared with those who were already identified by clinical BRCA screening (n=418) performed by the BRCA Lab (Lund University). This unit carries out mutation screening for all oncogenetic clinics in Sweden using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Results A total of 50 BRCA1 mutation carriers were identified, of which 28 were unique pathogenic germline mutations. Frameshift insertions and deletions made up 34/50 (68%) of the BRCA1 mutations. Exon 11 harbored 33/50 (66%) of the BRCA1 mutations. The most common mutation was c.3048_3052dupTGAGA (n=8), which is a founder mutation originating from the West coast of Sweden. Three other Swedish founder mutations were also identified (c.1082_1092del [n=5], c.3626delT [n=3] and c.2475delC [n=2]). For BRCA2, 42 mutation carriers were identified; 33 unique deleterious BRCA2 mutations (27 frameshift deletions, 3 frameshift insertions, 9 truncating and 3 splice sites). More than half of the mutations (24/42, 57%) were found on exon 11. Of the 418 women who had attended clinical BRCA testing, 38 deleterious mutations were found. Our screening method confirmed 34 of these mutations, as two each of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations were missed, since NGS was proven unsuitable for the detection of large exon duplications. NGS did, however, identify three more carriers not previously identified by clinical testing (c.3048_3052dup, c.2577delA and c.7442delT). Overall, 55/92 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (59.8%) identified in the present study by NGS were not clinically tested. Conclusion NGS is comparable with current BRCA testing tools for the identification of BRCA1/2 germline mutations, suggesting that the technology has the potential to be used in BRCA1/2 clinical testing in unselected breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Li J, Wen SWX, Eriksson M, Kvist A, Christensen HN, Torstensson A, Easton DF, Teo S-H, Borg Å, Grönberg H, Czene K. Targeted sequencing of BRCA1/2 across a large unselected breast cancer cohort in Sweden [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-06-15.

The unaccountability case of plastic pellet pollution

Plastic preproduction pellets are found in environmental samples all over the world and their presence is often linked to spills during production and transportation. To better understand how these pellets end up in the environment we assessed the release of plastic pellets from a polyethylene production site in a case study area on the Swedish west coast. The case study encompasses; field measurements to evaluate the level of pollution and pathways, models and drifters to investigate the potential spread and a revision of the legal framework and the company permits. This case study show that millions of pellets are released from the production site annually but also that there are national and international legal frameworks that if implemented could help prevent these spills. Bearing in mind the negative effects observed by plastic pollution there is an urgent need to increase the responsibility and accountability of these spills.

Microstomum (Platyhelminthes, Macrostomorpha, Microstomidae) from the Swedish west coast: two new species and a population description

Two new species of marine Platyhelminthes, Microstomum laurae sp. nov. and Microstomum edmondi sp. nov. (Macrostomida: Microstomidae) are described from the west coast of Sweden. Microstomum laurae sp. nov. is distinguished by the following combination of characters: rounded anterior and posterior ends; presence of approximately 20 adhesive papillae on the posterior rim; paired lateral red eyespots located level with the brain; preoral gut extending anterior to brain and very small sensory pits. Microstomum edmondi sp. nov. is a protandrous hermaphrodite with a single ovary, single testis and male copulatory organ with stylet. It is characterized by a conical pointed anterior end, a blunt posterior end with numerous adhesive papillae along the rim, and large ciliary pits. The stylet is shaped as a narrow funnel with a short, arched tip. In addition, the first records of fully mature specimens of Microstomum rubromaculatum von Graff, 1882 from Fiskebäckskil and a phylogenetic analysis of Microstomum Schmidt, 1848 based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene are presented.

Whole-Genome Sequence of the Novel Antarctobacter heliothermus Strain SMS3, Found in Association with the Marine Diatom Skeletonema marinoi.

As part of an ongoing investigation into the microbiome of the marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi, the bacterial strain SMS3 was isolated from a culture of S. marinoi strain ST54, which had been propagated from a sample of top layer marine sediments taken from the Swedish west coast. We present here the sequenced genome of this bacterium, which we place in the taxon Antarctobacter heliothermus, based on a phylotaxonomic analysis and its high 16S rRNA sequence similarity to the A. heliothermus type strain DSM 11445T. Its 5,331,190 bp genome consists of a circular chromosome and three circular plasmids, and contains 5,019 CDSs. Strain SMS3 contains a phosphatidylcholine synthase gene, as well as genes involved in DMSP degradation, both of which imply a potential symbiotic relationship with its host.