On March 22, nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea (Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden) celebrate Baltic Protection Day. It was adopted 24 years ago by the Helsinki Commission as part of World Water Day.
The Baltic Sea, to which we share access with eight countries, is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world, prone to anthropopressure. This is due to both its specific characteristics (inland sea, shallow depth, water stratification, low diversity of organisms) and its environment (large catchment area - including agricultural, urbanised and industrialised areas).
The task of the countries located by the Baltic Sea within the Helsinki Commission is to monitor the current state of the waters, protect the environment through joint actions limiting water pollution and exchange information on potential threats. The Helsinki Commission established March 22 as the World Water Day to draw the attention of the international community to the problems of protecting our sea.
- 'The problems of the Baltic caused by human activity include eutrophication and its consequences, such as oxygen deserts and massive algae growth, as well as pollution with chemical compounds, including toxic warfare agents,' explains prof. dr hab. Hanna Mazur-Marzec, head of the Department of Marine Biotechnology at the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography of the UG. In her opinion, although in recent years there have been symptoms of an improvement in the ecological state of the sea, it is still necessary to continue efforts to achieve its sustainable functioning.
Comprehensive research of the Baltic Sea, its resources and the biological, physical and chemical processes occurring there are carried out at the University of Gdańsk, mainly by the Institute of Oceanography. - 'This is done using a new vessel, the R/V Oceanograf catamaran, as well as modern measuring equipment on board and in the scientific laboratories of the Institute of Oceanography,' says prof. dr hab. Hanna Mazur-Marzec. Research conducted under national and international grants is aimed at assessing the current state of the Baltic Sea and its resources, and forecasting any changes. New possibilities for sustainable use of the Baltic's natural resources are also being explored.