Professor Ragnar Elmgren
Professor Emeritus Ragnar Elmgren’s main research concerns the effects of eutrophication and cyanobacterial blooms in the Baltic Sea with an emphasis on bottom fauna, including methods for coastal management. Elmgren has basic training in Zoology, Chemistry, Philosophy and Scandinavian Archaeology from Stockholm University.
In 1976, he achieved his PhD in Animal Ecology at Askö laboratory and the Department of Zoology at Stockholm University. The title of his thesis is “Baltic Benthos Communities and the Role of the Meiofauna”. In 1990 he became a full Professor of Brackish Water Ecology at Stockholm University. He retired from his professorship in 2011 but was active thereafter coordinating the BEAM program and participating in several research projects.
Prize motivation:
Professor Ragnar Elmgren is awarded for being one of the most outstanding researchers in the field of marine eutrophication. His pioneering work over the past 50 years has focused on understanding the complex interactions between human activities and marine ecosystems, particularly in the Baltic Sea. Through his tireless efforts to educate the public and train future generations of scientists he has shared his knowledge both nationally and internationally. Even to this day, his work continues to form the basis of policy development.
Introduction to the research area and summary of awardees’ contributions:
Marine eutrophication refers to the process where water bodies become enriched with nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, due to human activities like agriculture and wastewater discharge. This nutrient overload can lead to excessive growth of algae and phytoplankton. When they die and decompose large amounts of oxygen are consumed, resulting in hypoxic or anoxic conditions leading to ”dead zones” where most marine life cannot survive. This can lead to loss of biodiversity and disruption of ecosystem services such as fisheries, recreation, and overall water quality. Understanding and mitigating eutrophication is crucial for preserving the health and sustainability of the Baltic Sea’s marine ecosystems.
Professor Elmgren is one of the most outstanding researchers in the field of marine eutrophication. His research over the past 50 years has revolutionized our understanding of nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and their impact on aquatic systems. Additionally, his work has contributed to the development of science-based mitigation strategies.
Description of the awardees’ research:
Professor Elmgren is renowned for his pioneering work in marine ecology, particularly in the Baltic Sea region. His research has focused on understanding the complex interactions between human activities and marine ecosystems, with a special emphasis on issues such as benthic ecology and ecosystem dynamics.
His two most cited papers are both from 1996. The highest cited has the title “Regional nitrogen budgets and riverine N & P fluxes for the drainages to the North Atlantic Ocean: Natural and human influences”. This paper was cited almost 1500 times and has a high number of citations in policy documents in the US and Europe.
His second most cited paper is also from 1996 and titled: “The fate of nitrogen and phosphorus at the land-sea margin of the North Atlantic Ocean”. This paper has 700 citations and a significant number of citations in policy documents from US and European ministries and authorities.
His early pioneering paper on “Eutrophication and the Baltic Sea: causes and consequences” from 1985 showed that loadings of phosphorous and nitrogen to the Baltic Sea were higher than previously estimated and that it was caused by anthropogenic activities.
Another impactful contribution is the paper “Man’s impact on the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea: Energy flows today and at the turn of the century” from 1989, with professor Elmgren as the single author, which analyses carbon flows within the Baltic ecosystem, and the effects of eutrophication, fishing and reduced population of top predators (i.e. seals) caused by hunting and chemical pollution.
Both these papers are still today highly cited in their field.
Overall, professor Elmgren has an impressive track record using conventional science citation indexes. He has 81 publications cited more than 9000 times (Source: Scopus). Several of his papers are also well-cited in European, the US, and international policy documents.
Professor Elmgren has been the main supervisor for twenty PhD students in Animal Ecology, Marine Ecology or Systems Ecology.
Impact:
Professor Elmgren has generously shared his knowledge both nationally and internationally through his tireless efforts to educate the public and train future generations of scientists. He was a pioneer in stepping down from the ivory tower to actively engage in science-policy communication by participating in the public debate in different ways, including communicating with policymakers and interacting with journalists and news media. Professor Elmgren did this at a time when such activities were more uncommon for professors than they are today, meaning it required both courage and a strong commitment to contribute with knowledge that could help shape environmental policies and protection measures for the Baltic Sea.
He has been a leading expert in advocating sustainable management practices in coastal areas and has conducted influential studies on the effects of human activities on marine ecosystems.
His work has informed policy efforts to reduce nutrient inputs into the Baltic Sea from sources such as agriculture, wastewater, and atmospheric deposition. One of the most prominent examples was his contribution to the eutrophication assessment published in 2006 by the Swedish EPA, where Professor Elmgren’s work and expertise were used to emphasize the role of both nitrogen and phosphorus for Baltic Sea eutrophication with major implications for national and international eutrophication target setting.
Professor Elmgren participated in the EU-projects BASYS (on the impact of climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances in Baltic Sea coastal ecosystems), and SPICOSA (aiming at developing a research approach for the assessment of policy options for the sustainable management of the coastal zone), and the Mistra programmes SUCOZOMA (Sustainable Coastal Zone Management) and MARE. The MARE research program addressed Baltic Sea eutrophication by integrating data on nitrogen and phosphorus impacts. A main result of MARE was the development of the Nest decision support system, which led to the start of the Baltic Nest Institute (BNI). The BNI provides a scientific basis for ecosystem-based management of the Baltic Sea by maintaining and developing databases and models with a holistic Baltic Sea perspective. Results from BNI continue to help decision-makers calculate cost-effective measures to reduce nutrient input and support environmental policies like HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU’s Water Framework Directive.
A particular part of his research worth highlighting is his career-long involvement in the “Himmerfjärden project”, a research project leading to fundamental breakthrough results on nitrogen versus phosphorus limitation in the Baltic Sea. In this project, Professor Elmgren was a key person pioneering transdisciplinary cooperation between local communities, authorities and stakeholders. In particular, he managed to get a local sewage treatment plant to vary its annual sewage load to enable testing of ecosystem responses on various nitrogen and phosphorous loads. This unique work has helped shape policies aiming at balancing environmental protection with socio- economic development in coastal regions that have helped policymakers make informed decisions about land use planning, coastal infrastructure development, and pollution control measures.
Professor Elmgren has received international recognition for his scientific work receiving several prestigious awards:
- 2nd Zayed International Prize for the Environment (2005).
- Demel Medal of the Polish Sea Fisheries Institute (2006).
- Grand Prize of the Baltic Sea Foundation (2011).
- Askö 50 Year Award, Stockholm University’s Marine Research Centre.
- John Martin Award, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), recognized for a highly impactful paper in aquatic sciences (2018).
Professor Elmgren’s work continues to form the basis of policy development also today.
