OCEAN seminar at Donsö Shipping Meet: "Unexpected methane emissions triggered by ship passages"

At this breakfast seminar, Chalmers professors Ida-Maja Hassellöv, Johan Mellqvist and Rikard Bensow will present brand-new research showing that ships in shallow, methane-rich waters can trigger sudden greenhouse gas emissions from the seabed. Measurements in the Baltic Sea revealed methane levels up to 20 times higher in busy shipping lanes than in nearby areas.

The effect is caused not by fuel type but by hydrodynamic forces – pressure changes and turbulence that disturb sediments. With many major ports located in similar environments, these findings highlight an overlooked emission source with relevance for the global marine and shipping methane budget.