Elin Dahlgren’s research while affiliated with Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and other places

Thiamin is an essential water‐soluble B vitamin known for its wide range of metabolic functions and antioxidant properties. Over the past decades, reproductive failures induced by thiamin deficiency have been observed in several salmonid species worldwide, but it is unclear why this micronutrient deficiency arises. Few studies have compared thiamin concentrations in systems of salmonid populations with or without documented thiamin deficiency. Moreover, it is not well known whether and how thiamin concentration changes during the marine feeding phase and the spawning migration. Therefore, samples of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were collected when actively feeding in the open Baltic Sea, after the sea migration to natal rivers, after river migration, and during the spawning period. To compare populations of Baltic salmon with systems without documented thiamin deficiency, a population of landlocked salmon located in Lake Vänern (Sweden) was sampled as well as salmon from Norwegian rivers draining into the North Atlantic Ocean. Results showed the highest mean thiamin concentrations in Lake Vänern salmon, followed by North Atlantic, and the lowest in Baltic populations. Therefore, salmon in the Baltic Sea seem to be consistently more constrained by thiamin than those in other systems. Condition factor and body length had little to no effect on thiamin concentrations in all systems, suggesting that there is no relation between the body condition of salmon and thiamin deficiency. In our large spatiotemporal comparison of salmon populations, thiamin concentrations declined toward spawning in all studied systems, suggesting that the reduction in thiamin concentration arises as a natural consequence of starvation rather than to be related to thiamin deficiency in the system. These results suggest that factors affecting accumulation during the marine feeding phase are key for understanding the thiamin deficiency in salmonids.

Stocks of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak (N. Europe) have been strongly exploited for decades bringing them into an enduringly depleted status. Scientific cod stock related advice for targeted and mixed fisheries is provided on an annual basis by the International Council for Exploration of the Sea. This advice forms a basis for ministerial decisions on, e.g., the total allowable catch and management plans. Despite measures to reduce fishing-induced mortality of cod, such as catch and effort restrictions, increased gear selectivity, closed areas and seasons, clear signs of recovery are yet to be seen. Thus, traditional advice for the management of these stocks may have to be complemented by advice on supporting measures focusing on other pressures hampering the recovery of cod. The present study elaborates on potential supportive measures for cod stock recovery in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat, and Skagerrak (including local populations where applicable), based on current knowledge. The list of measures presented here is the outcome of in-depth discussions on the state-of-the-art knowledge, among cod experts and further with stakeholders with the aim to follow principles of ecosystem-based fisheries management. Following the identification of different pressures on and prerequisites for the separate stocks, the listed measures differ between stocks and include cod bycatch mortality reduction, alterations in fisheries affecting food sources for cod, restocking, protection of juvenile habitats, and reduced predation. The literature review and the list of measures are intended to provide decision-support for managers and policymakers aiming to provide conditions for the cod stocks to recover.

Managing fish stocks for species migrating between freshwater and the sea is challenging when ecological information for life stages at sea is poorly known. Oceans offer increased opportunity for growth but also morbidity and mortality. By improving our understanding of foraging at sea we can better identify factors driving stock health and recruitment. We analysed stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) in scales from tagged Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) caught at sea over four decades. We found consistently divergent patterns in δ13C and δ15N between the two main basins of the Baltic Sea, which can be used to determine foraging area. Isotope analysis of amino acids revealed differences in source δ15N as the main reason for observed differences between basins. We also analysed isotopes in scales and thiamin concentrations in roe (thiamin deficiency can cause substantial fry mortality) from adult female salmon returning to a river to spawn in 2017 and 2018. Individuals with low thiamin levels were associated with offshore feeding in both basins, suggesting the deficiency syndrome is widespread in the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea is among the most polluted seas worldwide. Anthropogenic contaminants are mainly introduced via riverine discharge and atmospheric deposition. Regional and international measures have successfully been employed to reduce concentrations of several legacy contaminants. However, current Baltic Sea monitoring programs do not address compounds of emerging concern. Hence, potentially harmful pharmaceuticals, UV filters, polar pesticides, estrogenic compounds, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or naturally produced algal toxins are not taken into account during the assessment of the state of the Baltic Sea. Herein, we conducted literature searches based on systematic approaches and compiled reported data on these substances in Baltic Sea surface water and on methodological advances for sample processing and chemical as well as effect-based analysis of these analytically challenging marine pollutants. Finally, we provide recommendations for improvement of future contaminant and risk assessment in the Baltic Sea, which revolve around a combination of both chemical and effect-based analyses.

Little is known about the demographic/life-style/physiological determinants explaining the variation of serum perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) concentrations in children. We identified significant determinants in children and investigated the influence of low-level...