Baltic Expedition 2012 – We’re off!

You may remember last year around this time, we launched our first ever expedition into the Baltic Sea. It’s that time of year again! Our chartered research vessel, the Hanse Explorer, set sail yesterday. Our team will spend two months covering 7,000 miles through the waters of the nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea (Denmark, … Read more

A different way of life: the barnacle

Some species seek security, constancy and the lowest possible degree of risk in the environment around them. Others however live in areas where conditions vary not only by the season, but by the hour of the day. Such is the case for barnacles, many of which can be found attached to rocks and mussels in … Read more

Parasites in the Baltic Sea

It may seem to many that there is little life in the Baltic sea, especially when compared to the bright and colourful images of life in the Mediterranean, or the Atlantic. But if you look very closely, there is actually much to discover. While on our 2011 expedition throughout the Baltic,  we gathered samples of … Read more

Oceana proposes nine new marine protected areas in the Baltic Sea

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

Baltic Amber

Freshmen year at my home university, I took “rocks for jocks” or Geology 101. Over the semester, I had to memorize the appearance and name of 60 different rocks so I could identify a random sample of 20 for the final exam. As December approached, I prayed for a tray holding “easy” stones to recognize … Read more