Denmark 🇩🇰
Danmark Planter Ålegræs
(“Denmark Plants Eelgrass”)
Unique in Europe, Danmark Planter Ålegræs is a nationwide seagrass restoration programme working to re-establish Zostera marina meadows along Denmark’s coasts. By testing site suitability on a national scale, the project is laying the foundation for large-scale restoration of Denmarks eelgrass meadows.
Trained volunteers play a key role in transplanting eelgrass, ensuring long-term impact and monitoring. In collaboration with researchers from SDU and Tænketanken HAV, the initiative aims to create a blueprint for future citizen-led restoration efforts. The project is supported by Nordea-fonden.
Running in parallel to this national seagrass restoration and research programme, there are a number of Zostera marina seagrass restoration projects at the following sites:
Vejle Fjord
The Project Sund Vejle Fjord is currently Denmark’s largest marine restoration project. The project involves restoring eelgrass meadows, mussel beds, and stone reefs as seascapes to restore lost marine habitats, enhance marine life, and improve water quality. It is a collaborative effort between scientists, local authorities, and volunteers, aiming to create a healthier and more sustainable marine environment.
Mariager Fjord
The Project Coastal Life is a EU LIFE project that supports Danish marine restoration initiative that restore coastal ecosystems such as eelgrass meadows, mussel beds, and stone reefs. Furthermore, the project connects land and sea by restoring coastal meadows and recreate islets that function as important breeding habitats for birds. The projects focuses on four main areas in Denmark, Løgstør Bredning, Nørholm, Mariager Fjord and Northern Fynen.
Løgstør Bredning
University of Southern Denmark has the main responsibility for eelgrass restoration and so far, a total of 1.1 hectare of eelgrass has been restored in Mariager Fjord, while suitability test planting is being carried out at all other sites.
Nørholm
suitability test planting is being carried out at all other sites.
Northern Fynen
suitability test planting is being carried out at all other sites.
Horsens Fjord
The TRANSPLANT Project was the first project in Denmark where eelgrass was successfully restored back in 2017. The first site in Denmark was in Horsens Fjord and careful site selection and the use of anchored shoots yielded high initial shoot survival and a shoot density similar to natural meadows after two years. The initial transplanted area was approximately 0.4 hectares, but continuous planting each year since 2020 has increased the restored area to approximately 2 hectares.
Lunke bay
The same site-selection procedure and methodology as in Horsens Fjord, was used in Lunkebay in 2019 where approximately 0.2 hectares was restored successfully. For four years this site had a very low shoot density until 2023 were shoot densities multiplied and reached the same shoot densities as in natural eelgrass meadows in that area, showcasing that different water bodies have very different recovery trajectories.