Life on Kosterhavet's seabed analyzed

"It's not possible to survey each square meter manually in the national park. That's why I've done what experienced mushroom pickers do when they're looking for chanterelles. I've studied what the seabed should look like in order for different benthic animals to thrive, so that we can predict where certain species might be living," says Genoveva Gonzalez Mirelis at the Department of Marine Ecology at the University of Gothenburg.

2 million map tiles

To be able to predict where different kinds of benthic species are in Kosterhavet using computer models based on knowledge of deepsea and seabed conditions, Genoveva Gonzalez Mirelis began by dividing up the entire seabed in the national park into 15 x 15 metre squares. This gave her basic data comprising more than two million map tiles, which were divided up into different types of seabed.

Using a geographical information system, GIS, she then produced a map of the occurrence of nine different types of benthic communities in Kosterhavet, including communities that were dominated by deepwater corals and Norway lobster. The method developed by Genoveva Gonzalez Mirelis can also be used to analyse other marine areas.