Press releases

Latest press releases

• Finland’s Great Cormorant population grew by more than ten per cent 2024-08-29
  Approximately 31,950 cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) nests were counted in Finland during the summer 2024. The Finnish breeding population increased by 14 per cent (about 4,035 nests) from the previous summer. Apparently, the influx of cormorants from other Baltic Sea countries started already in the previous year and has now increased the breeding population by about a quarter after a relatively stable period in 2015–2022. The aim of long-term monitoring and research is to support socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable coexistence with cormorants by providing high-quality information.
• Summary of the national blue-green algae monitoring June-August 2024: This year, blue-green algae blooms were observed especially in open sea and coastal areas, whereas the blue-green algae situation in inland waters varied 2024-08-29
  The warm weather in early summer brought forward blue-green algae observations, especially in the sea areas of the Gulf of Finland. In southern and south-west coastal and open sea areas, the peak of blue-green algae blooms was in June and July. The blue-green algae situation in inland waters varied, as a result of varying weather during the summer, and the most abundant blue-green algae blooms were observed mainly in Southern and Central Finland.
• Status assessment of the marine environment: minor improvements in the state of sea areas in Finland, overall picture remains poor 2024-08-28
  Finnish Environment Institute, Ministry of the Environment and Southwest Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment report about a new online publication: The status of the Baltic Sea remains predominantly poor. The effects of eutrophication in all sea areas disrupt biodiversity and the functioning of the food network. However, the harmful development may be reversing. Although the change is not substantial from the previous status assessment published in 2018, longer-term monitoring indicates a slight improvement.
• Baltic Sea Day in Helsinki: Marine Research and Mapping Information on board Aranda and at Oodi 2024-08-26
  Baltic Sea Day, on August 29, the marine research vessel Aranda will welcome the public in next to Helsinki’s Old Market Hall. At the Oodi Helsinki Central Library, visitors can explore the underwater biodiversity of the Baltic Sea.
• The Ilmarinen shipwreck is being investigated to avoid potential oil spills 2024-08-12
  The Finnish Environment Institute and the Ministry of the Environment report: Investigations on methods for removing oil from the sunken coastal defence ship Ilmarinen will continue between 12 and 18 August 2024 on the Navy’s multipurpose vessel Louhi. As a result of the amendment to the Environmental Protection Act that entered into force at the beginning of 2023, the responsibility for monitoring and gathering information on hazardous shipwrecks has been assigned to the Finnish Environment Institute, which now coordinates the research carried out at Ilmarinen.
• The number of blue-green algae observations has increased slightly in inland waters and on the coast of Southwest Finland 2024-08-08
  Somewhat more blue-green algae have been detected in inland waters and coastal areas than last week. Inland water observations have been made especially in the southern and western parts of the country, as well as along Central Finland. Slightly more blue-green algae have also been observed on the coast of Southwest Finland, compared to last week. In the open sea, the blooms have become stronger on the south side of the Archipelago Sea.