{"id":45976,"date":"2024-06-10T10:54:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T08:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/?post_type=project&p=45976"},"modified":"2024-11-14T16:51:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T15:51:30","slug":"harvested-reed-cleans-the-sea-and-benefits-the-land","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/en\/projects\/harvested-reed-cleans-the-sea-and-benefits-the-land","title":{"rendered":"Harvested Reed \u2013 Cleans the Sea and Benefits the Land\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"Harvesting\n

Harvesting coastal reed beds can lead to improved water quality and increased biodiversity. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The Issue<\/h2>\n
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Eutrophication of the Baltic Sea is a serious environmental issue that contributes to algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and seabed death. Eutrophication occurs when excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus are released into the sea. These nutrients typically originate from agriculture, sewage discharge, industrial activities, and runoff from land use. Algal blooms can have several negative consequences for the Baltic Sea’s ecosystem and human health. When algae die and decompose by bacteria, these bacteria consume oxygen from the water, leading to oxygen deficiency and the formation of dead zones where fish and other organisms cannot survive. The nutrients running into the Baltic Sea contribute nearly one million tons of nitrogen and about 30,000 tons of phosphorus per year. This is more than double the emissions from 100 years ago.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Our Solution <\/h2>\n
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Harvesting coastal reed beds can cost-effectively remove significant amounts of nutrients from coastal waters. Besides improving water quality, this practice benefits biodiversity by restoring coastal habitats. The project aims to identify market opportunities for various uses of reed. Solutions being tested include using reed as a soil improver, horse feed and growing substrate for mushrooms, and as raw material for packaging and construction materials. The Reed Project encourages companies to develop a variety of product prototypes from reed, as it remains an underutilized material that the market is not yet accustomed to working with.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Reed\n

Reed as soil improver – a circular solution that returns nitrogen and phosphorus from the Baltic Sea to the soil. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Project\n

Project manager Johan Sidenmark takes the opportunity to mulch with reeds at Tors\u00e5ker farm.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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