Masteruppsatser

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://gupea-staging.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/52332

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THE GOVERNMENTAL VIEW ON CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT VS USE OF INVASIVE SPECIES - How attitudes and risk perception compare to the impact of Magallana gigas aquaculture on the Swedish West Coast
(2025-09-04) Bridgwater, Clara; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Political institutions are facing new challenges in marine governance with the spread of alien invasive species, which are one of the largest causes of biodiversity loss. One of the biggest issues in management is the lack of funding and methods for conservation projects. A preventative tool that is used in its place is the Precautionary Principle, which inhibits activities that could have an impact on the environment. But it also creates an exaggerated risk perception of invasive species, and in combination with outdated legislation prevents effective management. A case study was done on triploid Magallana Gigas on the Swedish West Coast where relative impact from the reproduction of the species in aquaculture was compared to the reproduction in the wild diploid populations. Coastal municipalities and County Administrative Boards were interviewed to evaluate their attitude and risk perception toward Magallana Gigas, and to evaluate if their management approach is in conflict with their sustainable development goals. The results showed that a triploid aquaculture would have a very small reproductive contribution of 0.000 to 0.021% to the wild diploid population, if placed in an area where the species is already established. It was also revealed that while opinions differed, the majority of the respondents were against the use of the species commercially, and were sceptical towards compensation to allow the activity, despite the impact being very low. The conclusion is that despite having a small impact, political institutions will likely not consider utilizing the species for management approaches to engage industry actors, due to the precautionary principle, and in turn limits conservation alternatives, as well as puts Sweden's aquaculture development at a disadvantage.
Integrating Marine Indicators into Corporate Sustainability (ESG) Reporting Standards: An Empirical Study
(2025-08-14) Diao, Scott Sujin; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Corporate sustainability reporting has gained unparalleled momentum over the past two decades in both academia and industry. The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks and standards are extensively employed as an effective tool for sustainability disclosure, relying on science-based metrics and indicators to quantify anthropogenic impacts to the biosphere, especially environmental impacts. However, most of the environmental indicators are terrestrial-oriented, with limited representation of the ocean. To better address the imbalance, practical and operative marine indicators are needed in addition to the terrestrial ones. This thesis reviews key frameworks and standards of selected sustainability standard-setters such as Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and compares their indicators to the targets outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14). The result uncovers the deficiencies in marine metrics and indicators, evaluates the gaps between the selected standard-setters and suggests the integration of potential marine indicators into future reporting methodologies. This will not only enhance the achievement of SDG14 targets but also raise the awareness and responsibility of marine-related stakeholders in conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources. The study contributes to the disclosure of marine sustainability data and emphasizes that integrating marine indicators into ESG frameworks is crucial for an inclusive and balanced assessment of the environmental pillar.
Can offshore wind farms offer regenerative solutions for depleted fish stocks?
(2024-08-01) Axelsson Örberg, Cecilia; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Climate change and targets for growing electrification has led to an increasing demand for space to produce renewable energy in coastal areas causing conflicts with the fishing industry. To address these conflicts, studies suggest that offshore wind farms (OWF) can serve as marine protected areas, benefiting biodiversity and potentially fisheries. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term impacts on fishing opportunities of three potential wind farm projects in the Skagerrak; Mareld, Västvind, and Poseidon, including the impacts on target species abundance change in the area and the feasibility for the local fishing industry to adapt to potential spatial changes of fishing grounds and target species abundance. Assuming wind farm areas function as no take zones (NTZs), prohibiting trawling and conserving benthic ecosystems, this study uses a combination of literature data on abundance increase and spillover effects from NTZs to model target species abundance change, and interviews with fishermen to analyze effects and potential changes needed in the fishing industry. The results indicate that target species abundances in areas surrounding the OWF could increase after construction. After 9 years post-OWF construction the Norway lobster fishing opportunity in areas surrounding the wind farms may be up to 97% of catches in the study area before construction. The regenerative and spillover effects vary by OWF-area and fishery, depending on initial target species abundance. The results further highlight the fishing industry's complexity and challenges in adapting to changing practices due to factors like safety concerns, financial issues, worry of increased competition and lack of understanding from government agencies. Despite this, this case study concludes that there is a great possibility that OWF can restore degraded ecosystems, regenerate fish stocks and at the same time allow for certain fishing practices. Thus, be a “push” to shift to more sustainable fishing practices than currently used. Challenges exists, especially in the planning and trust process, to achieve successful co-existence between the fishing and OWF- industries.
Exploring fertilization strategies for zostera marina growth: organic vs. inorganic fertilizer.
(2024-01-16) Persson, Johan; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Release of copper from antifouling paints exposed in european waters.
(2023-09-11) Emma, Rova; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Unveiling the future: Exploring Sweden’s opportunities to transition to an auction-based system for offshore wind.
(2023-08-11) Savolainen, Hanna; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
The energy transition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the Russian Federation’s war on Ukraine has incentivised targets of European independence in the energy market. Offshore wind is deemed an important energy source because technological advancements have made the sector cost-efficient while producing more capacity than before. Lower conflicts on the ocean allow for larger establishments with higher energy production. The Swedish scheme for offshore wind establishment impedes the possibility of the nation accelerating deployment. The Swedish scheme requires engagement with multiple regulatory bodies, and poses financial risks to developers, while legal unclarities for offshore wind deployment are present. Several Swedish agencies have posed suggestions to launch an auction-based system. This thesis aimed at providing knowledge about possible pathways to an auction-based system for offshore wind establishment in Sweden. Knowledge about necessary conditions, possibilities, and obstacles was studied through a literature review, focussing on the cases of Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Reports from authorities and academic articles on the subject were examined. The study found potential inspirational sources that could be adapted if Sweden established an auction-based system. The findings included ensuring a seamless transition, ensuring competition, and drawing on transitions from other national sectors. These suggestions may support Sweden to better succeed in creating the right conditions for accelerating offshore wind deployment through an auction-based system.
Incorporation of climate effects in marine spatial planning. Possible Climate Refugia on the Swedish West Coast Based on Two Climate Scenarios
(2023-08-11) Strömberg, Eric; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Climate change poses a significant threat to the survival and distribution of marine species and habitats. Identification and conservation of climate refugia have emerged as a strategy to safeguard vulnerable habitats and promote species resilience. Refugia are areas with favourable conditions for species survival amidst changing climates, serving as vital havens for biodiversity and ecosystems. This study aimed to analyse the consequences of future climate scenarios on the distribution of blue mussel reefs, eelgrass beds, and sponge aggregations on the Swedish West Coast, and ultimately use this knowledge to identify potential climate refugia. Salinity and temperature were used as climate variables, where values were projected based on two climate scenarios, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 and their respective model outcomes. The primary method used was analyses in GIS, based on geodata and previous research. The main findings revealed that these habitats will undergo alterations and retractions to different extents under different scenarios. The results showed that blue mussels and eelgrass refugia can be expected to be relatively similar to the current distribution, although with local exceptions where primarily salinity decreases had effects. Sponges were mainly impacted by temperature increases. However, decreasing salinity levels had a significant effect, as well. The distribution of sponges was altered to a larger extent compared to blue mussels and eelgrass, where refugia were primarily located in parts where salinity stayed high and temperatures low. The refugia using the species’ optimal limits are to a large extent safeguarded from the impacts of changing variables. Despite uncertainties and limitations, studying potential climate refugia is vital for understanding species distribution, informing MSP, and preserving marine ecosystems effectively.
Exploring risks of blue economy developments to people’s livelihood. A case study of Namibia’s coastal communities.
(2023-02-13) van Toor, Femke; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Fuelled by the vision of the blue economy, marine sectors are developing and expanding at a fast rate. Though intended to be done in a sustainable matter, such developments often come with a large set of uncertainties and possible impacts on the environment as well as on the coastal communities who are depending on the natural environment to sustain their livelihoods. To understand what risks these developments bring, risk assessments are a commonly used tool to manage these risks at several stages of marine management processes. However, often focussing on the ecological risks, the human dimensions of risks are too often left out. In studies on climate change impact, the importance of addressing the social-economic aspects of risk has been recognized. In these studies, it has become evident that aspects such as risk, livelihood vulnerability and susceptibility to change are highly context-dependent and can determine how courses of risk unfold differently in different communities. Therefore, a social-economic approach to risk assessments can be an effective method to get a full understanding of what risks can lead to impacts on people’s livelihood and how these risks are created. With a case study of Namibia’s marine development and a risk analysis of perceived risks to the livelihood of two underrepresented marine stakeholder groups, this study demonstrates how embedded socio-economic vulnerabilities are adding to human-induced environmental impacts that come with development. Contextual risk assessments as such have the ability better inform environmental management to create effective and inclusive decisions
The implications of heavy fuel oil ban in arctic waters for sustainable arctic shipping
(2023-01-23) Thu, Kaung; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
The increased temperature in the polar regions is one of the significant impacts of global warming and consequential climate change. In the Arctic, regional warming leads to the accelerated loss of sea ice caps, which has opened up new international shipping routes. Consequently, the associated risks of shipping operations raise concerns about the sustainability of the Arctic region. One of the serious issues of Arctic shipping is the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil (HFO) by ships due to the release of air emissions and potential oil spills. Hence, it has been discussed to phase out the use and carriage of HFO by ships in Arctic waters, and as a result, it was agreed upon the draft amendment of the Arctic HFO ban. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the impacts of the potential Arctic HFO ban under the sustainable development framework. There are 34 reviewed papers selected for this study to explore the implications of the Arctic HFO ban for the sustainable development of Arctic shipping. It was found that the environmental and socio-economic risks were significantly high because of the relatively larger consumption and carriage of HFO by ships in Arctic waters. A switch from HFO to distillate fuels by ships would be beneficial for the sustainability of the region and the sustainable development of Arctic shipping. However, it is necessary to develop further research on the development of alternative fuels other than distillate fuels
Cultivating red seaweed Palmaria palmata. Cultivation method and attitudes in the seaweed industry.
(2022-11-18) Lundgren, Elida; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the prospects of cultivating P. palmata from a technical point of view and to gain knowledge on the industry perspective in Scandinavia. The method was developed based on a pilot study done at Tjärnö Marine Laboratory and proceeded with new trials of cultivation techniques. The experimental cultivation focused on the effects of light intensity level and nutrient level on growth rates and dulse quality. Questionnaires were used during a seaweed conference at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory to gain knowledge about the attitudes within the industry. The findings show that P. palmata growth rates increase when light intensity and nutrient level is increased, but this may result in trade-offs regarding the quality. Furthermore, the findings from the questionnaire show that interest for P. palmata is high and people in the industry view the species to be well-established in some areas of use and up-and-coming in new applications.
Ocean literacy in the Swedish curriculum
(2022-11-18) Leitner, Christoph; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
The health of the ocean is related to the health of humanity. Thus, it is important to raise society's awareness about the ocean. This thesis aims at identifying the presence of the Ocean Literacy essential principles and fundamental concepts in the Swedish curriculum, with a focus on the subjects of Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Geography in grades 1-9. The analysis revealed that all fundamental concepts are represented, even though many of them have a low occurrence. Principles 6 and 7, who address the interconnectivity of humanity with the ocean and the unexplored nature of the ocean, are the most represented ones in the curriculum. Whereas the other principles present a low occurrence. There are numerous opportunities to include the ocean in the Swedish curriculum and respective examples are provided. A clearer mentioning of the marine environment in the learning outcomes is suggested in order to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Challenges of cross-border collaboration and coordination in marine national parks.
(2022-09-26) Sandsten, Julia; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Protection of marine areas is important to tackle global environmental challenges humanity faces and manage human activities in a sustainable way. Due to the lack of ecological boundaries in the seas, cross-border collaboration and coordination is essential. However, cross-border collaboration is often lined with challenges, such as the broad array of countries’ institutional designs. This master thesis aims to explore cross-border collaboration, identify challenges and how the collaboration may be affected by the institutional design of two adjacent Nordic marine national parks, Koster Sea in Sweden, and Outer Hvaler in Norway. The study is explorative and qualitative, comparing and analysing the two cases internally, and their interactions, using documents and interviews. A key focus is the countries’ institutional settings. Thus, the Institutional Analysis and Development framework provides an overarching theoretical structure to understand the role of institutions, complemented by a vertical policy hierarchy to unravel formal rules, and mandates on different institutional levels. Moreover, program logic models display conditions to carry out cross-border activities and how the activities are structured from start to finish. The analysis identifies three key challenges: different level priorities; divergent organisational structure and mandate; and degree of allocated resources and capacity. The identified challenges seem closely connected to the institutional design of each country, where internal structural differences seem to cause imbalances in the cross-border collaboration. Possible solutions include determining what cross-border collaboration mean in the specific context, plan for how to collaborate, formalise informal networks and most importantly, allocate resources for collaboration.
Sex-associated genomic variation in two ecotypes of Littorina saxatilis on the Swedish west coast
(2022-09-26) Ghane, Amin; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Sex, one of the most conspicuous characteristics of living organisms, has always been fascinating for biologists. The diversity of sex goes much beyond a simple distinction between males and females. Many organisms have more than two mating entities, and many species show some degree of hermaphroditism, at least in part of their life cycle. This diversity comes from highly diverse and mostly unknown genetic and environmental factors underlying sex determination. To disentangle the evolution of sex chromosomes, it is required to discover the driving factors of sex-linked loci evolution at the early stages of their emergence. Therefore, species with labile sex chromosome systems showing differing signals for sex-linked regions are more suitable for understanding this complex process. With this purpose in mind, we looked at the difference in sex determination in two ecotypes of Littorina saxatilis on the Swedish west coast. Little is known about the sex-linked genomic regions of L. saxatilis and based on the chromosomal karyotype; there is no ploidy or considerable sex chromosome degeneration. Therefore, it is necessary to use various techniques to verify candidates of sex-associated loci, assuming a pair of homomorphic sex chromosomes. In this study, we utilised an array of reference-based methods, including genomic coverage, SNP density, FST, and GWAS, along with a k-mer reference-free approach. A linkage map was used to place contigs of the reference genome in the correct order. A clear difference has been observed in the sex determination system between Crab and Wave ecotypes. The evidence for sex-associated loci of Crab ecotype was more pronounced and pointed to linkage groups 1, 2 and 12. However, the evidence for sex-linked loci of Wave was much weaker, and none of the linkage groups showed a strong association with sex.
Non-market goods derived from restoring flads, are they worth the trouble?
(2022-06-23) Hassellöv, Jesper; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
The quark archipelago is home to a unique environment called flad. These shallow lagoons are, trough an uplift up to 1cm year-1, changing appearance rather quickly and therefore create a niche environment. In Västerbotten, three flads were restored at their threshold with the ambition of increasing some of the ecosystem services and ecosystem goods received from a flad. These are located at Halsskärgraven, Inre Bastufjärden and Ytteravan. By using the stated preference method, or more precise the contingent valuation method, this study identifies the non-market values received from an increase in six ecosystem goods received by the nearby property owners, for these three flads. An interval open-ended method was used to identify respondents’ true willingness to pay. The study identifies if there is a difference between users and non-users in which ecosystem goods that are important while also identifying their willingness to pay. It further looks into the differences between locations in terms of total willingness to pay. The three major findings are (a) users and non-users seem to value different ecosystem goods as important, however the total willingness to pay was not significantly different between users and non-users, (b) the total willingness to pay was significantly different for Inre Bastufjärden compared to the other two locations and (c) the total willingness to pay varied between 28 077-74 774 SEK in Halsskärgraven, 9 338-17 388 SEK in Inre Bastufjärden and 33 775-54 915 SEK in Ytteravan. The study further concludes that about 11-30% (Halsskärgraven), 19-35% (Inre Bastufjärden) and 31-50% (Ytteravan) of the costs could be argued for by economic benefits received from the non-market ecosystem goods, by the nearby property owners. This gives an indication of the importance in the usage of the stated preference method.
The Role of the Sea in an Innovation Ecosystem. A case study of blue community gardens.
(2021-11-22) Axelsson, Anna; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
Innovation ecosystems (IESs) describe the interactions and co-evolvement of actors that enable innovation. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the concept of IESs in a context where the biological ecosystem and ecosystem services are vital elements. The thesis investigates what values that can be generated from different actors collaborating around cultivation, promotion and utilization of edible resources from the sea, in accordance with the idea of IESs. It also seeks a more holistic understanding of IESs, by investigating the role of nature (in this case specifically the sea) in the context. This is done using the case of an ongoing project regarding the development of a blue community (BCG) garden in Strömstad, and actors involved in the network are interviewed. The research questions are approached by exploring the theoretical framework of IESs and adjacent concepts and analysing them in relation to the empirical results, in line with the idea of abductive reasoning. Findings suggest that several values can be generated from the collaboration, such as access to new knowledge, improved reputation and stakeholder relations, and reduced environmental impact. Another way of understanding these values is by grouping them into the ecosystem services classification of providing, regulating, cultural and supporting services. Additionally, the findings reveal that the role of nature in the innovation context is fundamental, but not sufficiently represented in the theoretical framework of IESs or in the BCG network. It is therefore suggested that more holistic viewpoints should be embraced – in theory as well as in practise.
Collaborative Food Production as a Tool for Sustainable Behaviour
(2021-11-17) Will, Louisa; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences
To make people be able to effectively be able to make decisions to save the ocean from overexploitation, researchers are calling for strategies to make individuals more ocean literate. An Ocean Literacy Framework has been developed to increase public knowledge about the ocean and the relationship between humans and the ocean, but the framework does not yet address how the newly gained knowledge can be transformed into sustainable behaviours that benefit the state of the ocean. This study investigates blue community gardens as one possible solution to this problem. Members of blue community gardens pick up sustainable behaviours and gain ocean-related knowledge through farming their own seafood. While several factors can be seen to influence members’ behaviours, two stand out especially. The first is identity - members build strong social connections to each other and to the activities at the garden because they spend a lot of time together. Another important factor are people’s existing habits, even those that are not related to sustainability. Many members are part of their garden not primarily because they want to act sustainably but because they like to be active in their community, but they still pick up sustainable behaviours. The activities at blue community gardens can be categorized as serious leisure, therefore the results of this study indicate that future incentives to increase ocean literacy should consider approaching the topic from a “serious leisure” angle, not from an “interest in sustainability” one.
Swedish Blue Carbon Assets in Coastal Vegetated Ecosystems - A Compilation of Current Knowledge
(2021-09-20) Briesemeister, Ena Fee; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för marina vetenskaper; University of Gothenburg/Department of Marine Sciences

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