Search

The paper describes basic ice parameters: date of first ice appearance, date of last ice disappearance, duration of ice season, number of days with ice, and maximum ice thickness in winter on the southern Baltic Sea coast. These parameters are used to develop descriptions of the ice regime along the coast, including frequency. The archive data originates from Germany, Poland, and Russia. The missing data were completed by the correlation and regression analysis method. The data concerning the areas of Arkona, Sassnitz, Koserow, Karnin, Kamminke, Ueckermünde, Krasnoflotskoje, Baltijsk, and Usˇakovo cover the period from 1950-1951 through 1989-1990, whereas the data concerning the areas of Szczecin, Trzebież, Swinoujscie, Kołobrzeg, Darłowo, Ustka, Łeba, Rozewie, Hel, Puck, Gdynia, Swibno, Tolkmicko, and Krynica Morska cover the period from 1946-1947 through 1999-2000. In sheltered basins (internal), the ice phenomena appear earliest (on average, in December) and disappear latest (on average, in March). The intensity increases eastward in accordance with the severity of ice conditions. On the other hand, in unsheltered basins (open sea water) the ice appears later-on average, in January-and it disappears in late February to early March. The intensity increases westward, primarily influenced by bathymetric factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study considers the touristic characteristics of maritime borders on the Baltic Sea coast. A sequential model is proposed to describe cross-border tourism development, tourist flows and tourism partnerships, and takes account of the particularities of transnational tourism development on the Polish Baltic coast. The paper questions whether and how tourism contributes to transboundary integration and the movement of people in the southern Baltic from the perspective of border changes between Poland and its neighbors. The southern Baltic is a newly emerging space for cross-border tourism development that is undergoing various levels of integration, thanks to the abolition of traditional border functions. The article tries to answer a question about tourism’s role in the integration and the movement of people in the southern Baltic from the perspective of changes in border functions in Poland and its neighboring states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of testing (hindcast) an operational hydrodynamic model HIROMB_LT for Lithuania's coastal zone are presented and analysed in this paper. A model is developed using the program code of an operational hydrodynamic model of the Baltic Sea HIROMB (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute). The model grid (horizontal resolution 300m, vertical resolution 25 layers) covers the Baltic Sea coastal area until the Gdansk Bay in the West and Latvian border in the North and the Curonian Lagoon. The model simu- lated water levels, surface water temperature surface water salinity and ice cover variables were tested against measurements for the year 2009. The model shows satisfactory performance on water level and temperature and rather weak performance on salinity at stations where good reproduction of the mixing of fresh and saline water is critical (Juodkrantė and Klaipėda seaside stations). The model performance on ice thickness is still problematic because of too coarse spatial resolution of westerly winds. Despite of these shortcomings, the model can be used for operational forecasts already; however, data assimilation may be necessary for salinity and ice thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fight ongoing eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, major international directives and agreements, like the EU Water Framework Directive or the Helcom Baltic Sea Action Plan, aim at a reduction of nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea. These external nutrient load reductions interact with retention and removal processes (ecosystem services) in coastal and marine waters. Beside sedimentation, denitrification is the most important regulation ecosystem service provided by the sea, because it removes nitrogen (N) to the atmosphere and controls eutrophication. Denitrification is a spatially and temporally highly variable process and largely depends on temperature and N concentrations in the water. Climate change will have strong effects on denitrification. Increasing temperatures favour denitrification and changes in precipitation and discharge will alter the availability of N, with strong differences between river basins. We combine a 3D-ecosystem model of the Baltic Sea with economic marginal cost functions for three major Baltic river basins: Odra, Vistula and Neva. Objective is to calculate the monetary consequences of climate change (scenario A1B) for the implementation of water quality objectives, taking into account both, spatial changes in N loads and denitrification. In all regions over 90% of the entering N loads are subject to denitrification mainly in coastal waters. For the climate change scenario (A1B), our approach suggests reduced riverine N-loads of 7690 t/a (Odra), 6410 t/a (Vistula) and increased loads of 3200 t/a for the Neva. At the same time our model results suggest an increased denitrification of N-loads by 9.1% (Odra) and 9.9% (Neva) and minor changes with respect to the Vistula loads. In combination, in all three regions climate change helps to reach policy targets (lower N concentrations in the sea) at lower costs. The monetary benefit of load reduction measures that do not have to be implemented because of climate change are 11,270 million €/a (Odra), 2000 million €/a (Vistula) and 92 million €/a (Neva). The valuations strongly depend on the assumed climate change scenario and the economic approach, but indicate that climate change effects differ much between river basins and should be taken into account in nutrient load reduction management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophyta are the initial link introducing toxic mercury to the trophic chain. Research was carried out at 24 stations located within the Polish coastal zone of the Southern Baltic, in the years 2006-2012. Fifteen taxa were collected, belonging to four phyla: green algae ( Chlorophyta), brown algae ( Phaeophyta), red algae ( Rhodophyta) and flowering vascular plants ( Angiospermophyta), and total mercury concentrations were ascertained. The urbanisation of the coastal zone has influenced the rise in Hg concentrations in macroalgae, and the inflow of contaminants from the river drainage area has contributed to an increase in metal concentration in vascular plants. At the outlets of rivers possessing the largest drainage areas in the Baltic (the Vistula and the Oder), no increases in mercury concentration were observed in macrophyta. Increase in environmental quality and a prolonged vegetative season results in the growing coverage of algae on the seabed and in consequence leads to rapid introduction of contemporary mercury and Hg deposited to sediments over the past decades into the trophic chain. Thriving phytobenthos was found to affect faster integration of Hg into the trophic web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the directions and the rate of changes occurring in the coastal lakes Jamno and Bukowo, located in northern Poland. Based on the cartographic materials and aerial photographs of those water bodies, it was established that in 1909-2012, the area of the lakes decreased by 183.6 ha (7.7%) and 250.7 ha (13.6%) for Jamno and Bukowo, respectively. Another component of lake disappearance - shallowing of lake basins - was analyzed using bathymetric plans. It turned out that water supplies of Jamno during more than 100 years decreased by 2.4 million m (5.9%), while in the case of Bukowo, it was 5.9 million (17.5%). Unfavorable location (inflow of pollutants from the basin) and morphometry of both lakes should be considered as the main causes of such major changes. The lakes are polymictic with a considerable area of the shallowest zone (1 m depth). This favors the vegetation succession and, consequently, shallowing of the lake basins. Moreover, direct connection with the Baltic Sea contributes to the fact that the materials of marine origin deposited in the form of a reverse delta also contribute to a decrease in the open water surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment samples were collected in two Polish ports of international significance-the Port of Gdańsk and the Port of Gdynia (Gulf of Gdańsk, Baltic Sea)-in order to assess their butyltin and phenyltin contamination; this was done in 2008, just after the total ban on using harmful organotins in antifouling paints on ships came into force. Altogether, 21 sampling stations were chosen to present a diversity of port sites: from port canals and shipyards to anchorages and dumping sites. The organic carbon content and grain size of all the sediment samples were determined, and some environmental parameters (oxygen content, salinity) were measured as well. Total concentrations of butyltin compounds in sediment samples were very different and ranged between 1 and 18,520 ng Sn g d.w. Phenyltin contents were distinctly lower and ranged from below the limit of detection (most samples) to 660 ng Sn g d.w. The highest concentrations of organotins were found in the shipyards, the maximum total organotin content (19,180 ng Sn g d.w.) being found in the Gdańsk Ship Repair Yard 'Remontowa'. Butyltin degradation indices indicate a recent tributyltin input into the port sediments. The results obtained from this work prove that the international ban on using organotins may not be enough to protect the marine environment. It is necessary to monitor organotin contamination in ports and establish concentration limits of these compounds for the disposal of dredged material at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strehlow, H. V. 2010. The multiannual management plan for cod in the Baltic Sea: reactions and sentiments in two German fishing communities. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1963–1971.Just before and one and a half years after the implementation of the Multiannual Management Plan for the Cod Stocks in the Baltic Sea, the same two fishing communities on the German Baltic coast were visited to try to understand the impacts of the plan. Such information is a prerequisite for policy-makers to mitigate possible negative consequences on specific fleet sectors. During semi-structured interviews, observations, and group discussions, information on the reactions and the sentiments about the plan prevailing in the communities was collected. In general, the plan found widespread approval, because it improved planning reliability for fishers and cooperatives considerably. Conversely, the reduction in fishing effort stipulated in the plan has had strong adverse effects on small-scale fishers. The survey furthermore revealed that this fishery segment using passive fishing gear is among the most vulnerable, because it is the interest group with the lowest income, little resilience to cope with further restrictions, and no lobby to improve their position. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]