The NewSea project aims to develop a new concept for the integrated environmental assessment of pollution sources in the sea by combining the latest methods in chemical measurements of hazardous substances, determining the toxicity of these substances for marine life, and modelling the spread and accumulation of these substances in the marine environment. The new concept can, in the future, support management in determining the current state, identifying major point sources and finding solutions to mitigate the effects on the marine environment. The ultimate goal is to achieve a good chemical state in accordance with Water Framework Directives and thereby a cleaner sea.

Despite the increasing interest in hazardous substances in the marine environment, there is still limited knowledge about the quantity, origin and toxicity of the released hazardous substances. This makes it difficult to assess the impact of hazardous substances and whether they pose a risk to marine life. We propose to develop a new concept where different tools are integrated to provide a more holistic assessment of the status, impacts, risks and fate of hazardous substances in coastal waters.

Researchers at the Department of Ecoscience and the Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University, in collaboration with the Danish Board of Technology, will develop the concept over the next three years. The project has an advisory group consisting of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Tænketanken Hav, Region Zealand, the Danish Local Government Association, KIMO Denmark, the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, the Council for Green Transition, the Baltic Sea Fisheries Forum and the Danish Association for Gentle Coastal Fisheries. The project had its kickoff meeting with the advisory group on 13 October 2023.