The project has been developed in collaboration with DHI. As part of the project, DHI has carried out biological risk assessments of a range of impacts from shipping, including discharges, light and underwater radiated noise. Based on these assessments, maps have been developed showing where Danish marine areas are particularly sensitive to different types of impact.

The result is four environmental sensitivity maps covering Danish waters from Bornholm to Skagen, including the Øresund and the Great Belt:

•    Presence – sensitivity related to the physical presence and movement of vessels, including vessel density, disturbance, turbidity and invasive species.
•    Noise – sensitivity to underwater noise from vessels.
•    Light – sensitivity to artificial light from vessels and operations.
•    Discharges – areas where bilge pumping should, as far as possible, be avoided.

Using the maps, a range of measures can be taken to reduce the impact on the environment and biodiversity along a specific route. These may include avoiding particularly sensitive areas where operationally feasible, reducing speed or adjusting the route in areas with high sensitivity to noise, and considering changing or avoiding night-time operations in areas that are sensitive to light.

“By turning data on the marine environment into practical knowledge, we make biodiversity below the surface of the sea visible and can thereby help shipping take greater account of the marine environment, which is under considerable pressure. BIO-Route is based on publicly available data and is therefore free and openly accessible. At DHI, we see significant potential to further develop the maps with new data layers and targeted features, enabling them to deliver even greater value in the future,” says Emma Fournais Næsheim, Marine Environmental Engineer at DHI.

The project has been carried out with support from the Danish Maritime Fund.

The maps will be made available on the DHI website.