Volunteers and researchers are preparing slender green shoots of eelgrass under a white tent on the polluted shores of a Danish fjord to restore the damaged ecosystem of the site.
While Denmark has a strong environmental record, only five out of its 109 coastal zones are considered healthy according to the Danish Environmental Agency.
The Vejle fjord, like many other coastal areas in Denmark, is suffering from eutrophication, a process caused by nutrient accumulation from land run-off, resulting in increased microorganism and algae growth.
This leads to algae covering the water surfaces, blocking light, reducing oxygen levels, and causing harm to plants and wildlife in the area.
An underwater surveillance camera installed by the municipality in the Vejle fjord detected only one fish in 70 hours last year.
– ‘Completely collapsed’ –
With more than 60% of Denmark’s land used for agriculture, there have been concerns about the risks of run-off due to fertiliser use. A 2022 report by the University of Southern Denmark identified high levels of nitrogen run-off from farms as the reason for the poor environmental condition of the 22-kilometre Vejle fjord.
Warmer temperatures in recent years have exacerbated the situation, leading to severe oxygen depletion and the death of fish in the fjord.
Excess nutrients have been entering the fjord for several decades, causing it to collapse in recent years.
Scientists and the municipality decided to reintroduce green eelgrass into the inlet in 2018 to restore the seabed and the wildlife that relied on it.
Since 2020, over six hectares of seabed and more than 100,000 eelgrass shoots have been planted, leading to the return of aquatic life in some areas.
– Vejle fjord ‘funeral’ –
To draw attention to the state of Danish coastal waters, Greenpeace organised an open-air “funeral” for the Vejle fjord in April. Despite its poor condition, efforts are being made to restore it.
On World Oceans Day, the Danish Ocean Institute organised eelgrass transplant operations at 32 sites across the country to emphasize the importance of nature restoration and reducing nutrient emissions in Danish waters.
str-cbw/ef/po/nmc-jj
