State of the Baltic Sea is still concerning

The Baltic Sea and the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

The Baltic Sea is affected by eutrophication, certain harmful substances, and the increasing use of marine areas. Some of Finland’s marine areas show signs of improvement.

The State of the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea, surrounded by dense population, is sensitive to changes. The problems of the sea extend to the entire marine area, including Finnish waters. Finland is also responsible for the pollution of the sea, especially the poor condition of its coastal waters. However, not all Finland’s marine areas are in poor condition; in some parts, the state of the sea is good.

The state of the Baltic Sea is constantly monitored. The Baltic Sea monitoring programme observes eutrophication, water quality, marine nature, and other aspects of the sea’s well-being. Based on the results, an assessment is made of the state of each aspect. The goal is to achieve a good state in each area. There is still work to be done throughout the entire Baltic Sea.

Eutrophication affects most the southern and southwestern coasts of Finland

The eutrophication of the Baltic Sea is evident in cyanobacterial blooms, water turbidity, and oxygen depletion in the seabed. In Finland, the situation is most critical in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea. Among the open sea areas, the Gulf of Finland and its western marine areas are in the poorest condition. There have been slight signs of improvement along the Gulf of Finland coastline. The Archipelago Sea has, however, experienced an increased presence of cyanobacteria in recent years.

One indicator of eutrophication is the concentration of a-chlorophyll, or chlorophyll-a, which reflects the amount of phytoplankton in the water.

Nutrient levels have decreased, but not yet enough

Eutrophication is caused by high levels of nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorus – in seawater. Nutrient concentrations in the Baltic Sea peaked in the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, they have stabilized or decreased, but not yet enough. Finland is particularly concerned about the Archipelago Sea, where nutrient pollution is one of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission’s (HELCOM) hot spots – one of the sea’s worst problems.