Agnes Ytreberg och Erland Lettevald - Miljöövervakningen Hav och Vatten
Wednesday April 25th, 09.00-09.30
Interview by: Josefin Hanson and Emmy Haavisto
Location of interview: Zoom-meeting
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Background
Agnes Ytreberg works as a senior analyst (Marine Biologist) at Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. She is responsible for ordering environmental monitoring programs and also works extensively on issues related to intense noise and marine litter, as well as the health and disease conditions of marine mammals.
Erland Lettevald works in the same unit as Ytreberg and is responsible for monitoring the impact on biodiversity. He monitors the presence and quantity of invasive species and how they affect the environment. Erland also works on underwater noise monitoring, particularly from ships, and conducts physical monitoring along the coasts.
Challenges with the ocean and solutions
The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management plays a critical role in addressing marine environmental problems. Their extensive toolbox includes various measures for achieving environmental quality goals, but their primary focus is on knowledge gathering through monitoring activities. Data collection is a crucial part of their work, and they rely heavily on this information to make informed decisions.
Agnes highlights the challenge of understanding changes in nutrient values, which can be complex and difficult to attribute to specific causes. When something in the food web changes, it can have ripple effects throughout the entire web. Without a clear understanding of the causes of these changes, it can be challenging to implement effective solutions, particularly for large-scale problems such as environmental changes.
Erland emphasizes the importance of understanding the depletion of biodiversity in order to comprehend food webs fully. To effect change, we need to make bold decisions to slow down the rate of depletion. It is critical to recognize the value of having a high level of biological diversity for human wellbeing and to take measures that have a long-term impact.
Collecting data
Collecting data is a critical aspect of supporting these bold decisions, but it can be expensive and difficult to gather the necessary information.
Agnes and Erland are particularly interested in collecting data related to coastal development and activities that negatively impact water quality. They need a great deal of information, including data on temperature, salinity, and the impact of human activities on the environment. While there are legal requirements for their agency to collect some of this data, they lack the funding to gather everything they need.
The challenge of balancing economic and long-term considerations is a limiting factor for their work. It is challenging to plan when they do not know how much funding they will have available. Despite these challenges, they are committed to gathering the necessary data to support sound decision-making, even if it requires innovative solutions and creative approaches.
Legal obstacles
There are examples of conflicting legislation that can create challenges for organizations like the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. One such example is related to underwater noise pollution. While the agency is responsible for collecting data on the impact of impulsive noise on marine environments, it must rely on data provided by private companies and government entities like the Swedish Armed Forces, which are not obligated to share sensitive data with the agency.
This creates a challenging situation for the agency, as it is tasked with collecting data to inform its decision-making, but is unable to compel certain organizations to provide the necessary information. Balancing the need for data with respect for sensitive information is a delicate task, and the agency must navigate this complex landscape to fulfill its mission of protecting marine and water environments.
Citizen science
Citizen science has been around for a long time in various forms. Havs- och vattenmyndigheten works closely with the Swedish Species Information Centre, which has a system that allows citizens to easily report data. There is incredible potential to discover new species, and much data and information about invasive species come from the public rather than from research. A good digital integrated system is needed for people to be able to report data effectively. Artportalen has a quality assurance process in place to ensure that the data provided is of good quality and usable.
Yterberg doesn't see any regulations that affect citizens in order to collect data. What is required is for individuals to give their consent for the information to be shared and made searchable. GDPR can be a challenge in this regard as it requires consent. The reporters themselves own the data and can request changes if necessary.
It is important to carefully consider both the method and purpose of citizen science. It requires a significant effort with clear instructions and quality control measures. The data collected needs to meet the required standards and there needs to be feedback to citizens to show how their data is being used and contributing to a larger context. Quality control is also essential.