Denmark’s Little Belt is a marine strait located between the Jutland mainland and the island of Fyn. The Little Belt and the Great Belt together make up the Belt Sea, which along with the Sound forms the transition zone between the saltier Kattegat and the brackish Baltic Sea. Approximately 10 % of the water exchange between the Baltic Sea and Kattegat flows through the Little Belt. Its depth varies from shallow lagoons, inlets and bays, to deeper trenches averaging 35 meters, with its deepest point at 81 meters. Islands and peninsulas can also be found in the area.
The strong current in Little Belt provides good conditions for specialized and biodiverse habitats, including macro algae and benthos. The current removes loose material, and the sea floor therefore consists mainly of hard substrates on which macro algae and benthic fauna attach themselves. Benthic fauna filters the large amount of nutrients, which flow through the water. Benthic fauna in the area includes the ocean quahog mussel Arctica islandica, which is present in high numbers in the northern part of Little Belt, as well as Abra- and slender sea pen (Virgularia mirabilis) communities. Also horse mussels (Modiolus modiolus) are found in the northern part of the Belt Sea. Little Belt is a high density area for harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), a species that is currently listed in the EU Habitats Directive annexes, which means that Denmark is obligated to protect it.
Oceana surveyed the area in 2012 and 2013 with ROV and divers.
There is a local support from municipalities bordering Little Belt to protect it, and the area is popular among divers and recreational anglers.
