Faroese seabed plant growth at lowest since 1990

The Faroese Marine Research Institute (Havstovan) reports that plant growth on the continental shelf this year is among the lowest recorded since monitoring began in 1990.

While growth typically starts in spring and continues into late summer, this year’s development began unusually early in April but then stalled. Satellite observations show patchy growth, primarily from external sources, with no significant widespread growth across the shelf as expected during spring and summer.

Plant growth is critical for fish stocks and seabird colonies, including puffins, as it supports the food chain. Monitoring data indicates that growth on the shelf began abruptly in April, as in previous years, while offshore areas followed the usual May pattern. However, the early April start did not lead to sustained growth.