ÅAU and Meyer Turku collaborating to mitigate biodiversity effects

In an effort to mitigate their impacts on biodiversity, Meyer Turku is working together with a multidisciplinary team of Åbo Akademi University and SOS researchers. The project started in August 2024 and is set to conclude at the end of 2025.

New regulation on biodiversity reporting requires companies to disclose their impacts and dependencies associated with biodiversity starting in 2025. In order to assess their impacts and plan for mitigation actions, companies first need to know the current status of biodiversity.

With researchers from environmental and marine biology, the laboratory of industrial economy, and maritime law at Åbo Akademi University, the Meyer Turku biodiversity project seeks to bridge the gap between science and industry for better biodiversity conservation and policies. The overall aim is to provide a basis for a biodiversity program that includes both short- and long-term action points to mitigate Meyer Turku Shipyard’s impacts on biodiversity. This project is a part of a larger Meyer Turku lead research and development project called NEcOLEAP.

The projects starts with examining current regulation and legislation considering biodiversity in relation to Meyer Turku’s activities. The next phase consists of assessing the current status of biodiversity and related knowledge (including key species, habitats and ecosystems) in the shipyard and surrounding areas. Finally, the project will result in suggestions for actions to improve, safeguard and include biodiversity in the Shipyard’s activities, thus providing the basis for a tailored biodiversity program and strategy.

The project’s principal investigator is SOS Director, Associate Professor of Environmental and Marine Biology (tenure track) Anna Törnroos-Remes. The Meyer team is led by Environmental Engineer Jonas Martin and Environmental Manager Anna Vilén.