About the project
The project is a 6-week experimental chemical-biological study to test whetherlime addition to seawater can increase the buffering capacity and carbon sink of the sea, and improve
the energy reserves, energy metabolism, stress levels and
the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the Baltic Sea mussel and plankton community. Animal respiration will also be measured (as a measure of respiration, which increases in low pH and increasing temperature). In addition, we will evaluate, using
collected data, whether the western Gulf of Finland could be used as a test bed
for lime addition in practice to improve the quality of coastal waters.
Project goal
1. How does addition of lime affect the carbonate chemistry of the brackish water? How much does pH and alkalinity increase? Does the carbon sink increase? How does warming affect potential increase of alkalinity?2. Does lime addition improve the coastal waters and the health of pelagic/benthic organisms in terms of higher pH? Does animal health improve, measured as energy content and metabolism?
3. Can we detect an interaction between pH and temperature and a response on animal health in terms of energy content/energy metabolism?
UN's Sustainable Development Goals
Jonna Engström-Öst
Special Researcher