Kosterhavets nationalpark

Kosterhavet National Park is Sweden's first marine national park and is located in Strömstad and Tanum municipalities. In addition to a large area of water, the national park also includes parts of Rossö and a large number of islets and skerries, mainly in the archipelago southwest of Koster.

Beneath the surface you will find all the typical species of the west coast, plus a large number of species that have their largest or only known occurrence right here. Many of the rare and unique species are found in the deep channel of Kosterfjord, Kosterrännan. It runs through the national park from north to south and has a maximum depth of 247 meters.

The Koster channel is connected to the deep areas in the Skagerrak, which continue all the way out to the continental slopes of the North Atlantic. From there, oceanic water with high salinity and low temperature is brought into the Kosterfjord. This allows many deep-sea animals to live here, very close to the coast. In total, there are around 12,000 species in the national park area, which covers an area of approximately 390 square kilometers.