18/11/2025
đ Best of Køge Bugt Stone Reefs 2025 đ
It has been a tremendous pleasure to photograph the work carried out by the organisation , which establishes stone reefs in Køge Bay, leading out to the Ăresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden.
The images are used both to document the ecological development on the reefs and in the educational outreach the organisation provides to schools, institutions, and community groups around Køge Bay.
The absolute highlight of my year â and without doubt my best dive â was on chairman âs birthday, when I visited the newly reconstructed Juels Reef and encountered several cod that allowed me to come incredibly close.
Allan founded the organisation with the hope of recreating habitats for cod in the bay that had been almost completely stripped of stones. For over a century, large parts of the Danish seafloor were cleared of natural stones through stone fishing, a practice in which boulders were harvested for construction. This left many coastal habitats barren and contributed significantly to the decline of several species.
Today, cod in the region are severely threatened. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) recommends zero targeted fishing, yet cod continue to be legally landed as bycatch, adding further pressure to an already vulnerable population.
Cod are a keystone species in Ăresund; their abundance indicates the health of the marine ecosystem. Restoring stone reefs provides essential shelter and feeding opportunities â all crucial steps toward helping the species recover.