Keyword: Archipelago Research Institute

The Baltic Sea is in many ways a unique research subject – at the same time, it is a young sea, but also one of the busiest and most polluted seas in the world. It has been called a laboratory, a time machine, and a pilot, as the conservation methods that have been developed for the Baltic Sea are applicable around the world. At the University of Turku, biologists, geographers, historians and researchers in natural sciences and maritime spatial planning are focusing on the current challenges. Six researchers reveal how their research aims to improve the state of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea has a far stronger effect on the state of the North Sea than what has been previously thought. According to a recent University of Turku study, water flowing out from the Baltic Sea affects the salinity of and the number of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the North Sea. The results also suggest that Baltic Sea waters also affect North Sea herring offspring numbers.