Askö Area and Himmerfjärden

Abstract

This chapter is focused on the different types of benthic, plant and animal communities found in the photic zone of the Askö area. The description of these phytobenthic communities is also relevant for the entire Swedish coastline of the Baltic Proper. Only a few species disappear from the southern coast up to the Askö area and a few new species of freshwater origin occur at the northern border of the Stockholm Archipelago. For the Askö area, a comparison is made with the 1970s, and trends over the last 10 years are described. Some original data are presented. The deeper benthic and pelagic systems are more briefly described. Only a fraction of the results of the extensive research carried out in the Askö area since the 1960s can be presented in this review.