A new Danish research project will delve into the biology of the lumpfish, also known as stenbider, following years of alarming decline. From January 2025, all fishing for the species was banned following advice from DTU Aqua. This dramatic step drew wide public attention.
Now, with funding from the newly founded charity Seabreak, DTU Aqua will lead a four-year study to understand how climate change and other pressures shape the fish’s survival.
Filling the knowledge gaps
“We know far too little about the lumpfish,” says senior researcher Jane Behrens, who leads the project. “The grant gives us a chance to explore how rising sea temperatures, oxygen loss, and fishing together may have caused the collapse.”
The fish has long been a part of Danish culture, not least through its roe, which is served as a spring delicacy. Yet scientists still lack answers to basic questions: how often it returns to coastal waters, whether it feeds during spawning, and what role it plays in the marine food web.
Researchers will use telemetry, chemical analysis and controlled experiments to reveal how the fish grows, migrates and copes with environmental stress.
Sharing knowledge with the public
Seabreak stresses that public outreach is key. Denmark’s four largest aquariums – Kattegatcentret, Nordsøen Oceanarium, Den Blå Planet and Øresundsakvariet – will present the findings and display live lumpfish.
Seabreak’s founders, marine biologists Camilla Zacho and Jacob Jelsing, say the aim is to give the sea “a break” after decades of over-exploitation. “The lumpfish is a perfect place to start. It carries cultural meaning and may signal the health of coastal habitats,” says Zacho.
The research is scheduled to begin in January 2026 and will continue until 2029.