Press Releases
Record low sea levels in the Baltic Sea – Will there be a major inflow of saltwater from the North Sea?
Since the beginning of January, an unusually long period of easterly winds has caused the average water level in the Baltic Sea to fall to a historic low. Measurements at the Swedish Landsort-Norra gauge show values that are the lowest since records began in 1886. Researchers at the IOW are currently monitoring this development very closely, as it represents a rare oceanographic situation that could lead to a large inflow of saltwater from the North Sea into the Baltic Sea.
From Greenland to the deep sea via ocean express: North Atlantic Seaweed has potential as major carbon trap
Greenland’s coastal macroalgal forests may be a far more significant contributor to global carbon storage than previously thought. That is the outcome of a new study co-led by the IOW and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. By combining satellite imagery, ocean drifter trajectories, and high-resolution ocean turbulence models, the international research team demonstrated, how ocean currents and intense mixing events act to push seaweeds – and thus the carbon in their tissues – into the deep ocean.
Fungi Infect Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacteria
Under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) the influence of parasitic fungi on the physiology and survival of cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea was investigated. Such infections are known from lakes. Due to the high nutrient load in the Baltic Sea, there are high levels of cyanobacteria, some of which are toxic (algal blooms). In addition, the decomposition of algal blooms leads to oxygen depletion. Cyanobacteria are important for the nitrogen cycle, as some fix nitrogen and thus further increase nutrient concentrations in the Baltic Sea. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.
More eelgrass in the Baltic Sea thanks to AI – Kick-off meeting for SEAGUARD research project at the IOW
How can eelgrass beds in the Baltic Sea be efficiently restored with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) in the most climate-resilient way possible? This is the core question of the new SEAGUARD research project, which is coordinated by the IOW. The project combines marine research, data science and environmental management and is funded with about 1.8 million euros until November 2027 as part of the German federal environment ministry's AI flagship initiative.
The Baltic Sea coast in the Anthropocene: a model for the consequences of climate change
Under the lead of the IOW, a review article outlined the state of the Baltic Sea coast and its expected development as a result of climate change. The article shows that the Baltic Sea can serve as a model for the consequences of climate change and that interdisciplinary research is needed to investigate changes in its shallow coastal zones.
» Read more … The Baltic Sea coast in the Anthropocene: a model for the consequences of climate change
Media and public relation contact:
Dr. Kristin Beck
Tel.: 0381 5197 135
Dr. Matthias Premke-Kraus
Tel.: 0381 5197 102
Dr. Sonja Ehlers
Tel.: 0381 5197 109
General e-mail:
presse@iow.de