Press release 2018-05-10 at 18:08
A small sea can act as a model region for the global coastal ocean.
Warming, acidification, eutrophication, and the loss of oxygen - these are just a few examples of major changes being observed or expected for the future in coastal zones of oceans around the world. These processes are occurring in the Baltic Sea at a much faster pace than in other regions. At the same time, the Baltic provides useful lessons for how negative trends can be reversed by protective measures. In the international journal Science Advances, an international team of researchers led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel promotes the Baltic Sea as a time machine for coastal areas worldwide.
The research team included also four Finnish recearchers: Erik Bonsdorff (Åbo Akademi University), Kari Hyytiäinen (University of Helsinki), Veijo Jormalainen (University of Turku) and Harri Kuosa (Finnish Environment Institute SYKE).
The Baltic Sea is one of the best-surveyed seas on Earth. The research vessel Aranda plays an important role in the long-term monitoring of the sea in Finland. The Aranda is owned by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) which also coordinates the national long-term monitoring in Finland. © Kuva: Jaakko Helanto
The study was partly funded by the joint Baltic Sea research and development programme BONUS of the European Union.
More information: the press release of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Read the full article in Science Advances 4/2018: The Baltic Sea as a time machine for the future coastal ocean