Denmark COASTal Life – Nature Restoration in the Coastal Zone and on the Salt Meadow

The project is a collaboration between municipalities, national environmental agencies, universities, and private companies on nature restoration in shallow marine areas and associated coastal salt meadows and wetlands. The “gentle” Danish coast, where the salt meadow meets the shallow water with scattered rock reefs, islets, eelgrass and mussel banks is the classic image that often comes to mind when a Dane describes the inland Danish waters and fjords.

Six municipalities participate in the COASTal Life project, four within Limfjorden, one in the north of Fyn Island and one in Mariager Fjord, which through nature restoration in the coastal zone will recreate some of the traditional coastal landscapes to improve nature and the environment, counteract climate impacts and give us all more opportunities to experience nature up close.

Over the past 100 years, the coastal zone has changed dramatically. The extensive eelgrass beds in shallow waters have disappeared, partly due to eutrophication – i.e. due to excessive nitrogen and phosphorus being added to coastal waters – and today there are only isolated eelgrass beds in very shallow areas. Stone reefs have been extracted up from the fjord bottom to be used as building material and many islets have disappeared. The change has meant that habitats for, among other things, bird species that breed on salt marshes are limited, and fish that hide in eelgrass or stone reefs lack nursery areas. In addition, the transition zone between water and land is threatened by coastal squeeze.

In the COASTal Life project, two types of biogenic reefs will be restored In Løgstør Bredning (Limfjorden) relaying hatchery produced native European Flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) and native blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) spat sourced from culture spat collectors.