Proposal not accepted. Designated by Denmark in 2016 as nine much smaller sites. 

Oceana Congratulates Denmark on New Areas to Protect Key Ecosystems in Kattegat

Press Release Date
Monday, May 9, 2016
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Unfortunately, current government decision weakens original proposal in favor of private interests.

The Danish government has finally released its long-awaited decision to establish new marine protected areas (MPAs) in Kattegat, to protect fragile and threatened soft bottom species and habitats, like sea pens and Haploops, which are largely left unprotected throughout European waters. The marine conservation organization Oceana congratulates the Danish authorities, but regrets their decision to reduce the extent of protection that was originally proposed by the previous government.

Oceana Proposal for a Marine Protected Area

Kattegat is in the transition zone and the main gateway between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea through which the salty water of the former and the brackish water of the latter flow. The deep trench, located in the central part of Kattegat, spans 45 km from the northeast of the island Læsø towards the southeast, and boasts reefs and bubbling reefs. The deepest part of the trench is 151 meters down and the surrounding areas range from 20 to 40 meters deep. As salinity is remarkably higher in Kattegat than in the inner Baltic Sea, marine species are able to thrive and biodiversity is higher. In the deeper parts of Kattegat up to six times as many benthic species were found in a bottom sample compared to one from the inner Baltic Sea.

Kattegat trench and the surrounding slopes are mostly characterized by soft-bottoms, of mud or mixed mudsand, but rocks and reefs also occur in some areas. The communities and species inhabiting the deep parts of the trench include the Haploops community, Modiolus beds, sponge aggregations, and sea pens with burrowing megafauna. The holes in the Nephrops norvegicus megafauna also create habitats for smaller animals thereby increasing the complexity of the seabed.

A dramatic decline of the biodiversity of soft bottoms in open Danish waters was observed in Kattegat between the mid-1990s and the end of the 2000s. Despite this decline, which applies to individuals of both rare and dominating species, species composition remains the same. The reason for this is unknown. The same situation can be seen on stone reefs in Kattegat, but there is a degree of uncertainty.

In 2011 and 2012, Oceana documented a number of rare benthic communities and species, including Haploops community, Modiolus community, and sponge aggregations. Until recently, it was unclear whether the Haploops community, which takes its name from the small amphipod Haploops sp. (Haploops tubicola and H. tenius), existed in the area. However, in 2011 Oceana documented the rare species on several occasions. Modiolus beds, which provide shelter to a number of benthic species, are found in Kattegat and the northern part of the Sound. The prevalence of horse mussels (Modiolus modiolus) in Kattegat has changed remarkably in the last century. In the beginning of the 1900s, the species was widespread throughout the area, but today few remain. In 2012, Oceana documented some areas in central Kattegat where these Modiolus beds can still be found. Sponge aggregations (Suberites virgultosus) were identified by Oceana in the deeper part of the Kattegat trench at 80 meters depth scattered on a muddy bottom.

Based on Oceana findings of the abovementioned soft bottom habitats, the Danish Nature Agency is now considering protecting parts of the area under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Oceana is following the process closely.

For full proposal, please visit:  http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/euo/OCEANA_10_Kattegat_Trench.pdf