Based on the findings of three expeditions, Oceana has proposed 13 areas of high ecological importance to become new marine protected areas in the Baltic Sea. Most of them host species and breeding grounds classified by HELCOM as threatened and vulnerable. Species like the rare Haploops crustacean, and the blue mussel-like horse mussel, though not … Read more
The Baltic Sea is in a critical state and in serious need of protection. Today Oceana, the largest international marine conservation organisation, published a report on biodiversity and marine habitats, proposing nine areas in the Baltic Sea for inclusion in the current network of Marine Protected Areas (MPA). These areas, in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, … Read more
The Baltic Sea is one of the most peculiar seas in the world. With an average depth of only 55 meters, it is much shallower than oceans. The salinity of the Baltic Sea varies from levels similar to the ocean in Kattegat to sweetwater salinity levels in the Bay of Bothnia. Besides its unique biodiversity, … Read more
Compiled data will be analyzed and used to present proposals for the creation of an effective network of Marine Protected Areas. Oceana concluded one of its most comprehensive expeditions to date to document species and habitats in the region around the Baltic Sea. The international marine conservation organization completed over one hundred dives with an … Read more
So, it must come to an end. Saturday the Baltic Sea Expedition finished. We arrived to Stralsund in Germany, where Hanse Explorer was going to be transformed back to its normal look. This job toke days, as everything had to be packed properly and send back to Spain, where lots of the stuff, including the … Read more
We arrived in the Gulf of Riga Tuesday afternoon. The Estonian’s Muhu archipelago separates the Gulf of Riga from the rest of the Baltic Sea, and several large rivers provide fresh water to the gulf. The gulf is quite shallow with 67 m as maximum depth. The salinity is lower here than in the Baltic … Read more
As we were sailing from the Bothnian Sea towards the Åland Islands, the wind increased. Our plan was to go diving near a small island in the region Jomala west of the main town Mariehamn, but when we arrived the weather has turned so bad that diving in this non-sheltered area was impossible. Instead we … Read more
Fortunately the weather has improved, so it again is possible to work and walk (!) onboard. As we were moving north the nights were getting longer and longer, which impressed even a Scandinavian as me; at 1:30 AM there was still twilight in the Bothnian Bay. As expectedly the temperature drops when going north, which … Read more
The last days have been unusual for this expedition; we had spent more time in land than at the sea. We arrived to Helsinki on the 19th May, where the Oceana Baltic Sea Expedition team had time to explore the city. By being onboard on this expedition we are working every day, also in weekends, … Read more
Sign up today to get weekly updates and action alerts from Oceana.
We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
Oceana in Europe gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.
