From 13 – 17 April 2026 the 6th Baltic Earth Conference took place in Heringsdorf, Usedom, Germany. In total, 127 participants gathered in Heringsdorf for the conference, among which were 51 Early Career Scientists. For some participants, it was the first conference which they attended so far. The participants came from 14 different countries: Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Ukraine, France, Italy, China and the USA.

Under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), climate simulations were used to investigate how 19 inland seas, including the Baltic Sea, are responding to climate change. The researchers found that they have been warming faster than the global ocean since the 2000s. Projections show that marine heatwaves will affect around 60% of these seas on an annual average basis as early as in the middle of the 21st century. Without adherence to the Paris Agreement targets, up to 90% of these seas would be affected by heatwaves. The study contributes to climate change management practices and was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.