Howard Wood, OBE Visits Öresund
On October 21st 2026, Öresund Patrol hosted Howard Wood OBE, co-founder of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), on board OP-1 to show him what’s on our doorstep.
On board, we also welcomed Annelie Eckeskog (Marine Biologist at Helsingborg City and OP's Advisory Board Member) and Sinja Rist (Associate Professor at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources at DTU and OP's Advisory Board Member).
Nathalie Eiris Henriksen (OP's Chief Marine Biologist) and Lukasz Larsson Warzecha (OP's Chief Storyteller) represented Öresund Patrol.
The boat trip offered a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge.
At first glance, the stories of the sea around Arran and of Öresund couldn’t be more different: a remote Scottish island and a narrow strait that forms one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Yet both places show what happens when you leave the seabed alone.
Öresund’s 1932 bottom-trawling ban, introduced as a shipping safety measure, has become one of northern Europe's most consequential accidental conservation successes. It gave the strait the kind of protection COAST spent years fighting for around Arran. COAST is a testament to the fact that communities can make a difference and decide what legacy they want to leave behind.
Öresund Patrol is still at the beginning of its journey, one COAST has been on for more than thirty years. Days like this remind us why we started and leave us wondering what the future holds.
On board, we also welcomed Annelie Eckeskog (Marine Biologist at Helsingborg City and OP's Advisory Board Member) and Sinja Rist (Associate Professor at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources at DTU and OP's Advisory Board Member).
Nathalie Eiris Henriksen (OP's Chief Marine Biologist) and Lukasz Larsson Warzecha (OP's Chief Storyteller) represented Öresund Patrol.
The boat trip offered a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge.
At first glance, the stories of the sea around Arran and of Öresund couldn’t be more different: a remote Scottish island and a narrow strait that forms one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Yet both places show what happens when you leave the seabed alone.
Öresund’s 1932 bottom-trawling ban, introduced as a shipping safety measure, has become one of northern Europe's most consequential accidental conservation successes. It gave the strait the kind of protection COAST spent years fighting for around Arran. COAST is a testament to the fact that communities can make a difference and decide what legacy they want to leave behind.
Öresund Patrol is still at the beginning of its journey, one COAST has been on for more than thirty years. Days like this remind us why we started and leave us wondering what the future holds.
Howard Wood, OBE at DTU Aqua
The day before our boat trip, Howard gave a lecture, “Marine Conservation Starts at Home: How a Small Island Community Sent Waves of Change Around the UK and Beyond”.
His account of 35 years of campaigning, persistence, community support, scientific research, media attention and political engagement was a lesson in perseverance.
His account of 35 years of campaigning, persistence, community support, scientific research, media attention and political engagement was a lesson in perseverance.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
By supporting ÖRESUND/ØRESUND PATROL, you are helping with our Marine Research, Ocean Literacy programs, and Conservation efforts focused on a sustainable Öresund/Øresund for all.