How to do justice in an Instagram post to last week's immersive fieldwork trip to experience rewilding first-hand at @kilchoantrust on the sea lochs of Argylle & Bute with @ma_regenerativedesign students past & present?
Not sure I can, but here's a taster of some of the place-based embodied research that will inform the upcoming work of Ecosystem Alliance (watch this space!).
Thanks to all @kilchoantrust for the opportunity to contribute & learn in such inspirational surroundings, and to @alasdairodell from @samsmarinescience and @seawilding for the invaluable insights into seagrass restoration and marine science.
Huge thanks @greenandbeyond and Barbara Smith for putting together a wonderful program, and everyone else for their unique perspectives and ways of being during this shared time!
(Earth ball by @_rhodesgabriella 🪨)
How does Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) respond to stressors such as overnutrification and temperature change?
This is what Karine Gagnon and her team at the Havforskningsinstitutt are aiming to discover as part of NORSE – biodiversity in Northern European eelgrass meadows - by measuring the epiphytic load, and species diversity of eelgrass under a range of stressors. Epiphytic load refers to non-parasitic organisms covering the surface of a host plant.
Slow-releasing nutrients simulating a spring agricultural runoff event, are released into controlled local eelgrass communities, at ambient temperatures, and heated to an offset of +3 degrees. These are compared to tanks using only local water pumped in from the inlet. Early indicators show a doubling of epiphytic load in tanks with additional nutrients.
Here, Laura and Sondre are taking bi-weekly photosynthesis readings to see how the eelgrass is responding. They also measure above and below ground biomass; tissue analysis to understand uptake rates of carbon and nitrogen, and species diversity within the individual tanks.
It was surprising to hear that in general, eelgrass meadows in the Skagerrak sea have actually increased in area over the last 100 years, according to a masters thesis using aerial photography from the University of Bergen. This despite many instances of degraded, unhealthy and highly stressed meadows in and around Randesund.
Testament to a resilient rhizomatous species, with potential to flourish in the increased water temperatures we are seeing as a result of climate change.
Thanks so much to Karine Gagnon and Laura Steeves @havforskningen and Sondre Elshaug Mortensen @universityofagder for an enlightening and educational visit!
Thank you so much @bengtdaatland for last month’s educational tour of the eelgrass meadows, and areas affected by ‘Lurv’ on the Sørlandet coast.
Bengt Øyvin is a previous winner of Kristiansand Kommune’s miljøpris for his tireless engagement advocating for the protection of waterways and coastal ecosystems in the Randesund area.
Eelgrass meadows are threatened by the annual growth of opportunistic fine threaded algae, known as Lurv. These algae dominate coastal seabeds before floating to the surface, forming dense mats, reducing oxygen and preventing photosynthesis. Lurv thrives as a result of shifting seasonality, a warmer climate, pollution from building sites, and agricultural runoff.
Eelgrass is a keystone species, providing nursery conditions for a rich and diverse web of species. It also sequesters carbon at up to 40x the rate of rainforests.
According to a recent Sabima survey, here in Agder we have one of the highest rates of habitat destruction in Norway. Furthermore, the official plan is to continue building new cabins, and homes at the expense of ecosystems and biodiversity through piece by piece incursions into nature in the name of economic growth.
Isn’t it time to rethink our economy in the service of nature?
Make your vote count in the upcoming election if you have one!
This summers sea buckthorn berries, before I reluctantly shared them with the birds (they beat me to the lions share). Each one of these bad boys contains 12x the vitamin C of an orange. The leaves make a tasty tea too (Tisane).
Skinnende grønn i den strømmende elva. Rank og rett opp fra innsjøens bunn. Tett og tykk på overflaten. Klar og rød ved elvebredden.
Den ser kanskje ulik ut, men alle disse variantene er en og samme plante –Krypsiv, Juncus bulbosus.
Planten hører hjemme i Norges næringsfattige elver og innsjøer, men de siste 50 årene har den blitt til en problemvekst. Noen steder har krypsivet vokst så tett at den fortrenger mennesker, dyr og andre planter.
Grunnen til at krypsiv vokser så vilt er sammensatt, men hovedgrunnene er: regulering av vannstand, varmere vintre, og tilførsel næringsstoffer planter trenger for å vokse.
Krypsivet ønsker å nå vannoverflaten for å spre seg, og er vannstanden i elvene lav i perioden krypsiv kan danne blomster, blir det enklere å spre seg for planten.
Når vannoverflaten fryser om vinteren vil de lange skuddene til krypsivet fryse sammen med den og visne. Med varmere vintre er det mer av planten som overlever til neste sesong, og det er større sjanse for at planten bruker energien sin på å spre seg.
Krypsiv er spesielt avhengig av karbondioksid og nitrogen. Når mer av disse stoffene blir tilgjengelig, som for eksempel skjer etter at vassdrag blir kalket for å stoppe forsuring, øker vekst og spredning av krypsiv.
