Baltic Sea Science Congress in Helsinki is advancing the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science

Baltic Sea Science Congress 2023 Press Release
The Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)

Baltic Sea coastal dwellers have certainly noticed the deterioration of the state of the sea.  There is an increasing awareness and concern about the health of the oceans and seas all over the world. Humans are inextricably linked to the sea and its ecosystem services. 

”The main issue facing Baltic Sea ecosystems is eutrophication, and advancing climate change intensifies its negative impacts. Issues, such as the increasing amount of plastic in the sea cause risk to sea life and human health“,  Kai Myrberg, leading scientist at the Finnish Environment Institute and Congress organizing Committee Chair points out.

The vision of The UN's Decade of the Ocean ‘The science we need for the ocean we want’ sends a message that science provides the keys for improving the health of the seas and the sustainable use of its resources. 

“The congress offers an opportunity for interdisciplinary cooperation between scientists. Besides science we also need the contributions of other stakeholders”, Myrberg continues.

Congress scientific discussions include, such as, how machine learning and AI can support the planning of offshore wind farms.  Improving the accuracy of forecasting the changing marine conditions, is important for several sectors. And, how the Baltic Sea would look, if no cooperative measures had been taken to decrease the pollution load on the sea?

In addition, UN Decade of Ocean Science’s objective is to inform the public about how oceans influence us and how we influence the ocean. Linked to the congress the event entitled, ‘Let’s shower the citizens with the Baltic Sea knowledge’ (in Finnish) is programmed to reach a wider audience.

The Baltic Sea Science Congress takes place every second year in one of the Baltic Sea states. The current congress being the 14th in order.