Research Programs Focus on Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea

Newswise — In the past few years, two scientific projects have focused on research to help prevent eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. A summary of the work and management of the projects is published in the latest issue of Ambio.

Since the 1980s, eutrophication has been of great concern for the countries bordering the Baltic Sea. At the 1988 Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki Commission, the ministers agreed on a goal of 50% reduction in total nutrient input to the Baltic Sea within a 10-year period. In 1998, the ministers felt that their goal had not been met which led the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (MISTRA) to initiate the research program Marine Research on Eutrophication, a Scientific Base for Cost-Effective Measures for the Baltic Sea (MARE). The overall aim was to provide the Helsinki Commission with a user-friendly, scientifically based decision support system as a tool for reducing eutrophication.

Despite some minor structural and managerial problems, MARE's primary goal was achieved with the creation of the decision support tool Baltic NEST and the increase in general knowledge about the consequences of and possible amelioration of the negative and harmful effects of eutrophication on the Baltic Sea ecosystem.

Along the way, MARE collaborated with a Finnish research group involved in Baltic eutrophication research. This group's project was entitled Finnish Baltic Sea Research Program (BIREME). Among the key goals of BIREME were national and international networking of scientists and the enhancement of the development of creative and training environments.

Both the MARE and BIREME projects were focused specifically on multi- and interdisciplinary collaboration. "Each of us has a limited worldview, one that could be improved by better awareness of what others have learned. Rising out of traditional ecology will require a continuing, conscious effort of building intellectual and political bridges, something that has been advocated many times before but has not yet been fully achieved," wrote the authors of one MARE paper.

To read the about the MARE Research Program click here: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ambi-36-02-32_119_122.pdf

To read about the BIREME Project, click here:http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ambi-36-02-31_123_123.pdf

Ambio, a multidisciplinary English language journal, aims to serve the important function of putting into perspective significant developments in the environmental research, policy, and related activities, and to reach specialist, generalists, students, decision- makers, and interested laymen around the world with this information. For more information, please visit http://ambio.allenpress.com.