Baltic Sea seen as a time machine

A small sea can act as a model region for the global coastal ocean, said a press release issued by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) on Sunday.

Warming, acidification, eutrophication, and loss of oxygen -- these are just a few examples of the major changes being observed or expected in the future in the coastal zones of oceans around the world.

These processes are taking place in the Baltic Sea at a much faster pace than in other regions. At the same time, the Baltic provides useful lessons on how the negative trends can be reversed by protective measures.

In an article published in the current issue of the international journal Science Advances, an international team of researchers led by Professor Thorsten Reusch from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kie promotes the Baltic Sea as a time machine for the coastal areas worldwide.