2010-12-22
Millions to research on water quality at SLU
Richard Johnson, professor at the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment at SLU, is coordinating the parts of WATERS that deal with freshwater issues.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has granted SLU researchers 17 million SEK for a project on biological assessment of water quality, WATERS.
WATERS, Water Body Assessment Tools for Ecological Reference CONDITIONS and status in Sweden, will generate knowledge that can be used by Swedish public agencies in their work with the EU Water Framework Directive, in freshwater and marine environments. The programme is expected to last until 2015 and the planned budget is in total 47 million SEK.
WATERS is led by the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment and conducted in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Stockholm University, Umeå University, Aarhus University, Swedish Board of Fisheries, SMHI and a range of environmental consultants.
“Within WATERS we hope to develop high quality research on how our aquatic react to disturbances such as eutrophication. This knowledge is needed to assess the state of the environment in coastal areas, lakes and streams”, says WATERS coordinator Mats Lindegarth in a press release from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Richard Johnson, professor at the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment at SLU, is coordinating the parts of WATERS that deal with freshwater issues.
“This is the first time that freshwater and marine ecologists are working together to develop an integrated assessment of water quality, "says professor Johnson.
Contact at SLU (freshwater parts of WATERS)
Richard Johnsson, epartment of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment at SLU, Richard.Johnson@vatten.slu.se, +46-(0)18 - 67 31 27.
Written by:
Ann-Katrin Hallin