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The accumulation of marine litter on beaches has a detrimental impact on the environment, human health, and recreational activities. A total of 116 monitoring surveys were conducted along the shore of the Kaliningrad region between 2019 and 2023. Sampling of anthropogenic and plastic litter (>0.5 cm) was carried out under various meteorological conditions on eight sandy beaches. The greatest abundance and mass of plastic marine litter (mean ± SE: 13.75 ± 8.61 items/m2 and 19.97 ± 5.92 gDW/m2, correspondingly) were observed in the aftermath of storms within beach-cast accumulation stains at the shoreline, where it was intermixed with organic debris. This is two orders of magnitude greater than the plastic litter contamination obtained using the OSPAR methodology at the same beach during fine weather (0.11 ± 0.01 items/m2, 0.33 ± 0.02 gDW/m2). The results suggest that the most effective strategy for beach cleaning is to implement it in the post-storm period.

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Successful management requires information on pressures that threaten a species and areas where conservation actions are needed. The Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population was first listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2008. Now, 16 years later, there is no change in conservation status despite ample conservation policy calling for its protection and an urgent need for management action to protect this population. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of the population, highlight knowledge gaps on the impact of pressures, and make recommendations for management of anthropogenic activities. Based on an exceeded limit for anthropogenic mortality, the high concentrations of contaminants in the Baltic Sea, combined with reductions in prey availability and increases in underwater noise, it is inferred that this population is likely still decreasing in size and conservation action becomes more urgent. As bycatch and unprotected underwater explosions result in direct mortality, they must be reduced to zero. Inputs of contaminants, waste, and existing and emerging noise sources should be minimised and regulated. Additionally, ecosystem-based sustainable management of fisheries is paramount in order to ensure prey availability, and maintain a healthy Baltic Sea. Stranding networks to routinely assess individuals for genetic population assignment and health need to be expanded, to identify rare samples from this population. Knowledge is still scarce on the population-level impact of each threat, along with the cumulative impact of multiple pressures on the population. However, the current knowledge and management instruments are sufficient to apply effective protection for the population now. While bycatch is the main pressure impacting this population, urgent conservation action is needed across all anthropogenic activities. Extinction of the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population is a choice: decision-makers have the fate of this genetically and biologically distinct marine mammal population in their hands.

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To attain sustainable development, a pertinent question that needs to be answered is whether good governance leads to financial inclusion (FI) and whether bank stability matters. This study examines how financial stability modulates the link between governance and FI in the Nordic-Baltic region between 2004 and 2021. Using a mixed effect model, we observed a positive causal relationship between governance and FI and bank stability modulate this causality. These findings are robust to alternative assumptions and model specifications. Interestingly, we found that good governance helps foster economic growth and social equality. The study further highlights the need for digital financial education to overcome the phobia of digital products as a priority policy agenda. Overall, this finding supports arguments in the literature that for FI to be sustainable, inequality should be low as income levels and well-being increase.

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Growing consumer interest in organic food has attracted the attention of the academic community. While the existing literature broadly examines the acceptability of organic food, there is a recognized need to delve deeper into consumer values. This study fills this gap by applying the theory of consumer values. The data was collected as part of a survey of 1000 Lithuanian consumers to evaluate the proposed hypotheses empirically. The results show that functional value (quality), social value, conditional value, emotional value, and epistemic value positively influence purchase intention for organic food. Conversely, functional value (price) does not significantly impact the purchase intention of organic food. Furthermore, the study recognizes a significant moderating impact of environmental self-identity in shaping the relationship between conditional value, emotional value, and purchase intention of organic food. In addition, a multi-group analysis examines notable differences between consumer groups based on gender, education, age, and income. The results indicate significant group differences, showing that purchasing behavior among women, younger consumers, those with higher incomes, and those with higher education levels are more susceptible to these values. This research improves our understanding of consumer values regarding organic food in Lithuania and provides valuable guidance to managers and policymakers. By recognizing the intricate interplay between different values and the influence of environmental self-identity, stakeholders can better tailor their marketing efforts and policies to meet the unique preferences of different consumer groups, ultimately promoting the growth of the organic food market.

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BackgroundThe Vibrio genus comprises several bacterial species present in the Baltic Sea region (BSR), which are known to cause human infections.AimTo provide a comprehensive retrospective analysis of Vibrio-induced infections in the BSR from 1994 to 2021, focusing on the 'big four' Vibrio species - V. alginolyticus, V. cholerae non-O1/O139, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus - in eight European countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden) bordering the Baltic Sea.MethodsOur analysis includes data on infections, Vibrio species distribution in coastal waters and environmental data received from national health agencies or extracted from scientific literature and online databases. A redundancy analysis was performed to determine the potential impact of several independent variables, such as sea surface temperature, salinity, the number of designated coastal beaches and year, on the Vibrio infection rate.ResultsFor BSR countries conducting surveillance, we observed an exponential increase in total Vibrio infections (n = 1,553) across the region over time. In Sweden and Germany, total numbers of Vibrio spp. and infections caused by V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus positively correlate with increasing sea surface temperature. Salinity emerged as a critical driver of Vibrio spp. distribution and abundance. Furthermore, our proposed statistical model reveals 12 to 20 unreported cases in Lithuania and Poland, respectively, countries with no surveillance.ConclusionsThere are discrepancies in Vibrio surveillance and monitoring among countries, emphasising the need for comprehensive monitoring programmes of these pathogens to protect human health, particularly in the context of climate change.

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By decomposing the total sea surface current into its geostrophic and ageostrophic components, we examined the contribution of each to the long-term variability of the total sea surface current. Our findings demonstrate the importance of geostrophic currents in Baltic Sea gyre formations. Additionally, ageostrophic currents contribute significantly to the flow across the region. Quantifying the difference between total sea surface current fields has revealed two dominant general sea surface circulation patterns in the Baltic Sea, whose characteristics correspond to the monthly mean climatology of sea surface current fields in May and December. Subsequently, a machine learning technique was employed to effectively detect the types of sea surface circulation patterns using wind vectors and sea level anomaly fields. This underscored the combined influence of sea level anomaly-driven and wind-driven components in shaping surface current vectors in the Baltic Sea, consistent with geostrophic and ageostrophic decompositions.

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Two bacterial strains, SP1S1-4T and SP2S1-2T, were isolated from sediment samples collected in the Stockholm archipelago in November 2021. Following whole-genome sequencing, these strains were identified as tentatively belonging to two novel Shewanella genospecies, based on digital DNA-DNA hybridization, as implemented in the Type Strain Genome Server. Shewanella septentrionalis, Shewanella baltica and Shewanella hafniensis were, in this order and within a narrow genomic relatedness range, their closest genotypic relatives. Additional sampling and sequencing efforts led to the retrieval of distinct isolates that were monophyletic with SP1S1-4T and SP2S1-2T, respectively, based on phylogenomic analysis of whole-genome sequences. Comparative analyses of genome sequence data, which included blast-based average nucleotide identity, core genome-based and core proteome-based phylogenomics, in addition to MALDI-TOF MS-based protein profiling, confirmed the distinctness of the putative novel genospecies with respect to their closest genotypic relatives. A comprehensive phenotypic characterisation of SP1S1-4T and SP2S1-2T revealed only minor differences with respect to the type strains of S. septentrionalis, S. baltica and S. hafniensis. Based on the collective phylogenomic, proteomic, and phenotypic evidence presented here, we describe two novel genospecies within the genus Shewanella, for which the names Shewanella scandinavica sp. nov. and Shewanella vaxholmensis sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are, respectively, SP2S1-2T (=CCUG 76457T=CECT 30688T), with a draft genome sequence of 5 041 805 bp and a G+C content of 46.3 mol%, and SP1S1-4T (=CCUG 76453T=CECT 30684T), with a draft genome sequence of 4 920147 bp and a G+C content of 46.0 mol%. Our findings suggest the existence of a species complex formed by the species S. baltica, S. septentrionalis, S. scandinavica sp. nov., and S. vaxholmensis sp. nov., with S. hafniensis falling in the periphery, where distinct genomic species clusters could be identified. However, this does not exclude the possibility of a continuum of genomic diversity within this sedimental ecosystem, as discussed herein with additional sequenced isolates.

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Scientific research confirms the harmful effects of airborne cyanobacteria and microalgae. However, determining human exposure to these microorganisms remains a challenge. The six-stage Tisch impactor was used to collect bioaerosols from April to September 2020 in the coastal zone of the southern Baltic. The MPPD model was used for estimation of regional, lobar, and generation deposition of microorganisms in human respiratory tract. The mass deposition fraction of cyanobacteria and microalgae in the head region gradually increased with the aerosol size. The maximum deposition fractions in the trachea, bronchial, and the pulmonary region were found for particles between 2.1 and 3.3 µm. The contribution of cyanobacteria and microalgae was the highest in the head region. The majority of microorganisms found in pulmonary region dominated in particles smaller than 2.1 µm. Exposure to the ambient bioaerosols may have an adverse impact on the human health in the region of southern Baltic Sea.

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Ongoing climate warming alters precipitation and water column stability, leading to salinity and nutrient supply changes in the euphotic zone of many coastal ecosystems and semi-enclosed seas. Changing salinity and nutrient conditions affect phytoplankton physiology by altering elemental ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This study aimed to understand how salinity stress and resource acquisition affect phytoplankton stoichiometry. We incubated a phytoplankton polyculture composed of 10 species under different light, inorganic nutrient ratio and salinity levels. At the end of the incubation period, we measured particulate elemental composition (C, N and P), chlorophyll a and species abundances. The phytoplankton polyculture, dominated by Phaeodactylum tricornutum, accumulated more particulate organic carbon (POC) with increasing salinity. The low POC and low particulate C:N and C:P ratios toward 0 psu suggest that the hypoosmotic conditions highly affected primary production. The relative abundance of different species varied with salinity, and some species grew faster under low nutrient supply. Still, the dominant diatom regulated the overall POC of the polyculture, following the classic concept of the foundation species.

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Coastal areas often suffer from eutrophication, causing ecosystem degradation and oxygen deficiencies. In hundreds of lakes, aluminium (Al) treatment has been a successful method to bind phosphorous in the sediments, reducing lake productivity. In this study we follow up a successful Al treatment of the sediment of Björnöfjärden, which was the first full-scale coastal remediation project using a geo-engineering method, that substantially reduced P concentrations in the water column. We evaluate the long-term development of Al in the water and aquatic life using 10 years data from before, during and after the aluminium treatment. Still after ten years, the treatment is successful with low P concentrations in the Bay. After a temporal increase of Al in water and biota (fish and algae) in connection with the Al treatment, the concentration decreased rapidly to pre-treatment levels. A risk assessment for biota and humans consuming fish and water from the bay showed that the risk for negative effects were negligible, also during the treatment year.

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Microplastic pollution is a pervasive issue, with remarkably high concentrations observed even in the most remote locations such as Arctic sea ice and snow. The reason for such large microplastic abundances in sea ice is still speculative and applies mainly to saline or freshwater conditions. In this study, we investigated seasonal ice core samples collected in March 2021 from the northern Baltic Sea (Gulf of Bothnia) for their microplastic distributions. The Baltic Sea is characterized by low salinity and can be ice-covered for up to six months annually. Microplastics were analyzed in the melted ice samples using an adsorption technique and Raman microscopy to identify their abundances, colors, shapes, and sizes to calculate their masses. Due to the strong dynamic of the ice layer and the repeated melting and freezing processes during the ice formation, no discernible trends in microplastic abundances, masses, or polymer types were observed throughout the ice core length. The average microplastic abundance (±SD) in the Baltic Sea ice was determined to be 22.3 ± 8.6 N L-1, with 64.9% of the particles exhibiting a particulate shape and 35.1% having a fibrous shape. The most prevalent polymer type was polyethylene terephthalate (PET), accounting for 44.4% of all polymers. This is likely due to the high proportion of PET fibers (93.8%). The majority of particle-shaped microplastics were identified as polyethylene (PE; 37.2%), followed by PET (17.2%), polyvinyl chloride (PVC; 15.9%), and polypropylene (PP; 15.9%). No correlations were found between microplastic concentrations and proximity to land, cities, industries, or rivers, except for PP mass concentrations and particle sizes, which correlated with distances to industries in Luleå, Sweden.

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Certified reference material (CRM) for natural (40K,210Pb,210Po,226Ra,228Ra,228Th,230Th,232Th,234U,235U, and238U) and anthropogenic (137Cs,239+240Pu, and241Am) radionuclides in marine sediment from the Baltic Sea (IAEA-465) has been developed. Information values are given for 238Pu,239Pu and240Pu. Altogether 27 laboratories participated in this exercise. Radiometric (alpha-spectrometry, gamma-spectrometry and beta counting, as well as mass spectrometry (ICP-MS and AMS) techniques were applied in measurements. The CRM is intended to be used for Quality Assurance/Quality Control of radionuclide analyses, for the development and validation of analytical methods, for the development of reference methods and for training purposes.

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Marine heatwaves have caused massive mortality in coastal benthic ecosystems, altering community composition. Here, we aim to understand the effects of single and sequential sublethal heatwaves in a temperate benthic ecosystem, investigating their disturbance on various levels of ecological hierarchy, i.e. individual physiology, trophic groups' biomass and ecosystem carbon fluxes. To do so, we performed a near-natural experiment using outdoor benthic mesocosms along spring/summer, where communities were exposed to different thermal regimes: without heatwaves (0HW), with one heatwave (1HW) and with three heatwaves (3HWs). Gastropods were negatively impacted by one single heatwave treatment, but the exposure to three sequential heatwaves caused no response, indicating ecological stress memory. The magnitude of ecosystem carbon fluxes mostly decreased after 1HW, with a marked negative impact on mesograzers' feeding, while the overall intensity of carbon fluxes increased after 3HWs. Consumers' acclimation after the exposure to sequential heatwaves increased grazing activity, representing a threat for the macroalgae biomass. The evaluation of physiological responses and ecological interactions is crucial to interpret variations in community composition and to detect early signs of stress. Our results reveal the spread of heatwave effects along the ecological hierarchical levels, helping to predict the trajectories of ecosystem development.This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.

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The phosphorus (P) concentration is increasing in parts of the Baltic Sea following the spring bloom. The fate of this excess P-pool is an open question, and here we investigate the role of microbial degradation processes in the excess P assimilation phase. During a 17-day-long mesocosm experiment in the southwest Finnish archipelago, we examined nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon acquiring extracellular enzyme activities in three size fractions (<0.2, 0.2-3, and >3 µm), bacterial abundance, production, community composition, and its predicted metabolic functions. The mesocosms received carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) amendments individually and in combination (NC) to distinguish between heterotrophic and autotrophic processes. Alkaline phosphatase activity occurred mainly in the dissolved form and likely contributed to the excess phosphate conditions together with grazing. At the beginning of the experiment, peptidolytic and glycolytic enzymes were mostly produced by free-living bacteria. However, by the end of the experiment, the NC-treatment induced a shift in peptidolytic and glycolytic activities and degradation of phosphomonoesters toward the particle-associated fraction, likely as a consequence of higher substrate availability. This would potentially promote retention of nutrients in the surface as opposed to sedimentation, but direct sedimentation measurements are needed to verify this hypothesis.

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Marine fisheries are increasingly impacted by climate change, affecting species distribution and productivity, and necessitating urgent adaptation efforts. Climate vulnerability assessments (CVA), integrating expert knowledge, are vital for identifying species that could thrive or suffer under changing environmental conditions. This study presents a first CVA for the Western Baltic Sea's fish community, a crucial fishing area for Denmark and Germany. Characterized by a unique mix of marine, brackish, and freshwater species, this coastal ecosystem faces significant changes due to the combined effects of overfishing, eutrophication and climate change. Our CVA involved a qualitative expert scoring of 22 fish species, assessing their sensitivity and exposure to climate change. Our study revealed a dichotomy in climate change vulnerability within the fish community of the Western Baltic Sea because traditional fishing targets cod and herring as well as other species with complex life histories are considered to face increased risks, whereas invasive or better adaptable species might thrive under changing conditions. Our findings hence demonstrate the complex interplay between life-history traits and climate change vulnerability in marine fish communities. Eventually, our study provides critical knowledge for the urgent development of tailored adaptation efforts addressing existing but especially future effects of climate change on fish and fisheries in the Western Baltic Sea, to navigate this endangered fisheries systems into a sustainable future.

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Protecting ocean habitats is critical for international efforts to mitigate climate impacts and ensure food security, but the ecological data upon which policy makers base conservation and restoration targets often reflect ecosystems that have already been deeply impacted by anthropogenic change. The archaeological record is a biomolecular archive offering a temporal scope that cannot be gathered from historical records or contemporary fieldwork. Insights from biogeochemical and osteometric analyses of fish bones, combined with context from contemporary field studies, show how prehistoric fisheries in the western Baltic relied on seagrass meadows. European eels (Anguilla anguilla) harvested by Mesolithic and Neolithic peoples over millennia showed a strong fidelity for eelgrass foraging habitats, an ecological relationship that remains largely overlooked today, demonstrating the value of protecting these habitats. These data open new windows onto ecosystem- and species-level behaviours, highlighting the need for wider incorporation of archaeological data in strategies for protecting our oceans.

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By analyzing otolith microchemistry, we examined the use of freshwater and marine environments by brown trout Salmo trutta L. that spawn in the Swedish River Emån and migrate to the Baltic Sea. We estimated the time juveniles spent in freshwater and the number of times the fish returned to freshwater, presumably to spawn. Twenty-six percent of the fish migrated to sea by 1 year of age. However, 13% spent less than one year in the river. Most brown trout (48%) migrated to the sea between 1 and 2 years of age. On average, brown trout, which averaged 4.4 years in age (range 3-6 years), returned to freshwater 2.3 times, and there was an inverse relationship between time spent in freshwater after hatching and the number of visits to freshwater. Our results do not support the classical life history pattern, where brown trout spend one or more years in freshwater before migrating to the sea. Here, we found evidence that part of the population leaves freshwater during their first year. While the cause for precocial migration in the River Emån is not known, our results from this permanently flowing river do not support the idea proposed for other Baltic Sea populations, where the risk of drought has been suggested to be the cause.

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This study applies a regional Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model, enhanced to include biocalcification processes, to evaluate the carbon capture potential of farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis/trossulus) in the Baltic Sea. The research emphasises the long-term capture of carbon associated with shell formation, crucial for mitigating global warming effects. The model was built using a comprehensive pan-Baltic dataset that includes information on mussel growth, filtration and biodeposition rates, and nutrient content. The study also examined salinity, temperature, and chlorophyll a as key environmental factors influencing carbon capture in farmed mussels. Our findings revealed significant spatial and temporal variability in carbon dynamics under current and future environmental conditions. The tested future predictions are grounded in current scientific understanding and projections of climate change effects on the Baltic Sea. Notably, the outer Baltic Sea subbasins exhibited the highest carbon capture capacity with an average of 55 t (in the present scenario) and 65 t (under future environmental conditions) of carbon sequestrated per farm (0.25 ha) over a cultivation cycle - 17 months. Salinity was the main driver of predicted regional changes in carbon capture, while temperature and chlorophyll a had more pronounced local effects. This research advances our understanding of the role low trophic aquaculture plays in mitigating climate change. It highlights the importance of developing location-specific strategies for mussel farming that consider both local and regional environmental conditions. The results contribute to the wider discourse on sustainable aquaculture development and environmental conservation.

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Coastal soft cliffs are subject to changes related to both marine and subaerial processes. It is imperative to comprehend the processes governing cliff erosion and develop predictive models for effective coastal protection. The primary objective of this study was to bridge the existing knowledge gap by elucidating the intricate relationship between changes in cliff system morphology and the driving forces behind these changes, all within the context of ongoing climate change. Therefore in this study, we employed various quantitative numerical methods to investigate the factors influencing coastal cliffs and the adjacent beaches. Our analysis involved the extraction of several morphological indicators, derived from terrestrial laser scanning data, which were then used to assess how cliffs respond to extreme weather events. The data span two winter storm seasons (2016-2018) and encompass three soft-cliff systems situated along the southern Baltic Sea, each characterized by distinct beach and cliff morphology. We conducted a detailed analysis of short-term cliff responses using various data mining techniques, revealing intricate mechanisms that govern beach and cliff changes. This comprehensive analysis has enabled the development of a classification system for soft cliff dynamics. Our statistical analysis highlights that each study area exhibits a unique conditional dependency between erosion processes and hydrometeorological conditions, both during and between storm events. Furthermore, our findings underscore the vulnerability of cliff coastlines to extreme water levels and episodes of intense precipitation.

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