Interdisciplinary methodological approach to assessing sediment quality in the Gulf of Riga

Interdisciplinary methodological approach to assessing sediment quality in the Gulf of Riga

The aim of the project lzp-2024/1-0524 is to develop and operationalise interdisciplinary approaches and methods for assessing the ecological risk of sediments in the Gulf of Riga and the ecosystem’s environmental quality. Planned results in this project include a) tried and tested interdisciplinary methods in the assessment of sediment quality by combining benthic biodiversity indexes with chemistry, biological effects and experimental studies b) identified negative effects caused by specific chemical compounds on the development of organisms in ecotoxicity tests c) develop sediment quality values to identify polluted and reference areas in the Gulf of Riga. The development and use of such an early warning method will significantly contribute to the assessment of the environmental quality of Latvia’s territorial waters, allowing more effective participation in the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and meeting the requirements of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).