Research on the open sea focuses on how the large-scale ecosystem dynamics of the Baltic Sea are changed by human impacts. Issues include eutrophication, fisheries and how environmental toxins are transported and dispersed in the sea.
The research is mainly carried out through marine modelling and analysis of existing data from various environmental monitoring programmes. An important aim is to support decisions in environmental issues and management processes.
The models link circulation patterns and nutrient cycling in all levels of the Baltic Sea food webs and ecosystems. The models allow scientists to create different scenarios for how the Baltic Sea changes depending on, for example, how fisheries are conducted, how the climate changes or how agriculture in the catchment area develops.
