Project WWF Copenhagen – Denmark (ongoing)

WWF ACTS FOR THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT IN COPENHAGEN

Following the first successful collaboration between WWF Denmark and Ecocean with the Grenå project, this new project was initiated as part of a 5-year partnership between WWF and the port of Copenhagen (By&Havn), in order to boost and support the biodiversity inhabiting Copenhagen harbor and to raise awareness of the city’s underwater life among its inhabitants. Indeed, the harbor water quality is excellent and the creation of additional habitats will allow species to settle in greater numbers. This project was carried out in two phases, the first in June 2021 and the second in September 2021. 50 Biohut were installed during each intervention.

This project has several interests and objectives for the port biodiversity and the city’s inhabitants. First of all, 12 different areas are equipped With Biohut, with a total of 100 modules installed. The 12 areas allow the characterization of various types of habitats, infrastructures, and salinity present in Copenhagen harbor. The salinity gradient, linked to the presence of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the South, which is less salty, allows the Biohut to benefit from the fish diversity present.

WWF has set up activities to raise awareness of aquatic biodiversity on the Biohut as well as numerous press releases. In parallel, a sponsorship system has experimented with private city actors (dock owners, companies, etc.) to finance and host Biohut habitat on their part of docks or pontoons.

The scientific monitoring are conducted by Master’s students from the University of Copenhagen under the leadership of a researcher specializing in the study of fish in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

The impacts of this project are first of all a support for the harbor biodiversity but also scientific feedback on a large-scale installation, with a highly artificial site and a salinity gradient.