Can engineering save the Baltic Sea?
Nutrient reserves in the seabed of the Baltic Sea is one of the topics discussed in the 11th annual Baltic Sea Region Forum on 14 May in Turku.
Despite of new investments in Baltic Sea, the condition of the sea is still bad. Huge resources of phosphorus have been accumulated in the bottom sediments of the Baltic Sea during the past decades. Although the only long-term solution to combat eutrophication in the Baltic Sea is the reduction of external loading to the sea, a number of sea-based measures to mitigate the impact of the internal nutrient reserves in the Baltic Sea have been suggested to accelerate the recovery of the Sea. Maria Laamanen, Environment Counsellor at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, reminds that although Baltic Sea region countries have reduced their emissions, eutrophication still continues in the Baltic Sea. The excessive nutrient loads from the catchment have accumulated in the seabed and now, as a consequence of oxygen depletion, the nutrients are leaking back to water.
Academic research and multinational cooperation as a main factors on the solving eutrophication
”It has been estimated that the internal phosphorus leakage is at least of the same order of magnitude as the external annual input to the entire Baltic Sea” states Allan Rosas, Judge of European Court of Justice. Rosas will be the chair of the panel discussion in the Baltic Sea Region Forum on how to deal with nutrient reserves in the seabed. Erik Bonsdorff, Professor of Marine Biology and one of the panellists, has researched the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea and the internal nutrient leakage. Bonsdorff will be sharing his expertise on eutrophication and the role of the internal nutrient reserves.
In addition to academic research, internal nutrient reserves and their role have been discussed in policy bodies. In the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in March 2018, the ministers of the Baltic Sea region countries expressed the concern of internal nutrient reserves exacerbating eutrophication and encouraged further research on both the dynamics of the internal nutrient reserves and potential reduction measures. For instance the HELCOM Pressure Working Group, chaired by researcher Lars Sonesten, has also already been working with internal nutrient reserves.
The discussion on internal nutrient reserves on 14 May is organized by Baltic Area Legal Studies BALEX. The Coordinator of BALEX, Saara Ilvessalo, says that the issue is topical and discussed especially in Finland and Sweden. For instance climate change enhances the risk of further exacerbating eutrophication. “Oxygenation, chemical treatment and dredging are examples of sea-based measures that have been suggested as potential restoration methods. However, there are still legal, ecological and technical questions that need answers. This event with the experts will contribute to the discussion and add awareness of the issue”.
The other speakers in the panel discussion will be Michelle McCrackin, researcher and biogeochemist at Stockholm University; Milja Vepsäläinen, project manager at Vahanen Environment Oy; and Henrik Ringbom, Professor II at Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law of the University of Oslo, who have been working and researching the eutrophication and the internal nutrient reserves of the Baltic Sea.
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