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Excessive input of nitrogen and phosphorus into water systems causes eutrophication. Efforts to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses from agriculture in the Baltic Sea region are crucial. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of nitrogen application rates in the form of mineral fertilizer on concentrations of Ntot, NO3-N, Ptot, and PO4- P (mg L-1) in runoff at the level of experimental fields. This study analyzed data from October 2014 to April 2022 collected from the Mellupite monitoring station, where experimental plots were set up with the application of different amount of nitrogen, expressed as nitrogen rate per hectare of cultivated agricultural land, ranging from 0 kg ha-1 to 240 kg ha-1. The average value of Ntot concentration at the level of experimental plots ranged from the lowest value observed in the experimental plots with the nitrogen application rate of 0 kg ha-1 (7.3 mg L-1) to the highest average value observed in the experimental plots with the application rate of 180 kg ha-1 (12.9 mg L- 1). The lowest average value of Ptot concentration was observed in the experimental plots with 240 kg ha-1 of N applied in the fertilizer (0.036 mg L-1), while the highest average concentration value was observed in the experimental plots with the nitrogen application rate of 60 kg ha-1 (0.097 mg L-1). During the study period, the highest NO3-N concentration values were observed in 2021/2022 when winter rapeseed was grown (9.9 mg L-1 N0, 13.6 mg L-1 N60, 12.4 mg L-1 N120, 14.3 mg L-1 N180). Kruskal-Wallis tests indicate that the experimental plot with 0 kg ha-1 showed statistically significantly lower Ntot concentration (p-value <0.001) and the plot with 60 kg ha-1 showed statistically significantly higher Ptot concentration (p-value <0.0001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From time immemorial, the oceans, seas and their coasts have been the cradle of human civilization and still play a vital role in the lives of millions of people, indirectly affecting all of humanity. The phenomenon of coastalization suggests that our reliance on and dependence from marine and maritime sectors will grow, and their sustainable development is a topical challenge. The Blue growth strategy addresses this issue on a Pan-European level, fostering research and innovation with regards to marine environments. Building on the conceptual grounds of knowledge and innovation studies, we hypothesize that countries and regions within a common sea basin will achieve the highest efficiency in research collaboration and knowledge exchange. By using bibliometric data from the Scopus abstract and citation database, we track scholarly output, co-authorship, and citations in the framework of the Blue growth strategy affiliated to the institutions of the Baltic Sea basin. The visualization of the research landscape is done in VOSviewer software at the level of bibliographic coupling, cocitation, and co-authorship relations. Our study evaluates maritime research networks and knowledge flows between the coastal cities of the Baltic Sea basin countries. Findings suggest that sea-related challenges act as an integrating factor in research, driving cooperative initiatives in achieving sustainable development at the macro-region with that solving national objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime/Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) underpinned by an ecosystem-based approach as one of the core components of integrated marine management is gaining momentum. In turn, a fully-fledged marine cadastre as an integral part of the MSP is still a future vision. The aim of the paper is to explore the Multipurpose, Multidimensional and Interest-Driven Marine Cadastre (MMIMC) as a concept and the synergistic effects between MSP and MMIMC for advancement of the Blue Economy and sustainable, effective and efficient marine governance through the lens of integrated marine management with an emphasis on the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). This paper emphasizes the conceptual perspective of the interaction between the MMIMC and MSP yet to be operationalized, providing overall documentation of the current state in the BSR regarding MSP and MMIMC and proposing conclusions to be used both at regional and national level. The present study offers added value by structuring knowledge and identifying patterns in the research area. In addition, the paper addresses critical questions and presents proposals to promote and guide further studies. The most important conclusions resulting from the research relate to the importance of the use of MMIMC during the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and adaptation stages of MSP. The research also highlights the need to establish a common framework of a multipurpose, multidimensional and interest-driven marine cadastral system for the countries of the BSR. The research process involved use of monographic, dogmatic, comparative, special analytical, macroscopic examination and logical access control methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Human & Nature Safety is the property of Vytautas Magnus University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea is the estuary of the Neva River. The study area has significant spatial variability in water salinity. The salinity regime is largely determined by the influx of fresh water from the Neva Bay and water exchange with sea waters from the western sections of the Gulf of Finland. Therefore, the eastern part of the bay is characterized by an increase in salinity from east to west. At the same time, salinity in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is characterized by rather essential short-period changes. Three regions were identified depending on the water salinity regime in the bay: a shallow-water desalinated area (I), transitional area from a fresh to a brackish-water (II), and a deep-sea brackish-water area (III). In a highly desalinated shallow-water area of the bay, zooplankton mainly consists of freshwater species. Representatives of the brackish-water complex prevail in other areas of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Water salinity is a leading factor determining the species composition and spatial distribution of zooplankton in the bay. Features of the hydrological regime of the three selected regions of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland determine the species composition of zooplankton. Estimates of changes in the structure and long-term dynamics of zooplankton in different regions of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland are obtained on the basis of long-term studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kriegers Flak Combined Grid Solution (KF CGS) is the world-first hybrid-asset system, which serves as an interconnection between East Denmark and Germany via the offshore wind power infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The hybrid-asset system includes offshore wind power plants of both countries interconnected via a meshed offshore HVAC grids and an HVDC Back-to-Back Converter Station at German shoreline. The KF CGS interconnection is controlled by the Master Controller for Interconnector Operation (MIO). The MIO utilizes the optimal power flow (OPF) and performs the transmission capacity calculation applying wind power forecasts, equipment's electrical data, availability and ratings including dynamic line rating (DLR), and onshore grid limitations. Due to wind power forecast errors or trip of transmission equipment, the MIO mitigates overloading of any KF CGS equipment, which may occur, according to the prioritized rules with minimum possible wind power curtailment. This paper explains the method behind the transmission capacity calculations of the KF CGS hybrid-asset system, implementation of the simulation model for the grid-planning and grid-stability assessment, and presents the results of the MIO first onsite test. The lessons learned are useful for design and operation of future hybrid-asset systems combining both HVAC and/or HVDC interconnector offshore grids and wind power feeding into the same grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living Labs (LLs) are among the user-centred open innovation approaches. LL approach is highlighting RDI operations in the real-life environments together with end-users and other relevant stakeholders while utilizing various research and development methods across the different innovation process stages. The main aim of this study is to empirically identify and compare health and wellbeing LL current and future business models by utilizing empirical Business Model Canvas (BMC) approach. In total BMC survey instrument included 101 variables ranging from nine to fifteen variables depending on the BMC item. In all, fourteen LL from eight different countries send their self-evaluation response. The paper compares the similarities and differences at LL level as well as BMC item level. The results suggest that there is not a universal business model among the sample selection LL organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes how the cyber warfare methods together with the electronic warfare methods can influence the traditional naval missions and change the war character. The level of control of sea is the main element, which affects the formation of the maritime war character. Maritime actions may also be part of the strategic communication of the states which are based on the state's military strategies. The states of the Baltic Sea constitute an interesting case scenario because they are militarily allied in a different way, highly digitalized and dependent on the maritime transport. The harassment of maritime transport and the interruption of the states' western maritime connections would affect the coastal states' society of the Baltic Sea as a whole. All the Baltic Sea states actors increase their maritime capabilities by developing and testing for example cyber and electronic warfare methods and armaments. In the digital world, cyber and electronic defence capabilities play a key role as part of the credible defence of the states. The digitalization of services and activities, as well as the increasingly growing interfaces of the Defence Forces with private sector service providers, add the vulnerabilities and threats. It is questionable whether we can talk about the cyber warfare and whether the cyber-based methods are comparable to the traditional maritime warfare methods. This paper seeks to illustrate how it might be possible to combine cyber and electronic warfare methods to the maritime warfare and how the objectives of the Baltic Sea states' respond to the threats posed by these methods. These possibilities, threats and the activities already carried out are assessed in the light of the international law and the constructive theory of the war character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonid fishes have always been the most valuable objects of the fisheries in the Baltic region. The population growth in Baltic region and the demand for fish products have resulted in the overfishing and impoverishment of many fishing areas. Most of wild types of fishes are losing their native spawning areas because of anthropogenic transformation involving hydro-technical construction, eutrophication of water bodies, water pollution and inadequate fishery. Heavy metals are considered as main toxicants in the production of fish products. Bioaccumulation of these toxicants in fish tissues has a significant negative impact to the physiological and reproductive quality of fish as well as reducing the quality of the fish products. According to investigations in this field, bioaccumulation of heavy metals by fish and subsequent distribution in organs is greatly inter-specific. In addition, many factors can influence their uptake like sex, age, size, reproductive cycle, swimming patterns, and etc. Without sufficient information about the accumulation of dangerous pollutants in the fish tissues it is hard to develop an adequate strategy for restoring populations of wild Atlantic Salmon. In this paper, the accumulation of heavy metals in the tissues of wild Atlantic Salmon caught for artificial reproduction and its fry from the state hatcheries of Baltic part of Russia is studied. Analysis of the obtained data is shown that significant bioaccumulation of heavy metals happens during growth and feeding after Salmon fry release into the wild and not during their growth in the state hatcheries. The accumulation values of individual heavy metals in different organs of the studied species have a significant variation (p <0.001). In this study, significant relationship with the habitat was revealed only for the accumulation of copper in the tissues of Atlantic Salmon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of officially certified Living Labs have been steadily growing since the launch of European Network Living Labs (ENoLL) over a decade ago. By far the most popular thematic focus area among ENoLL members is the health and wellbeing, which covers nearly a half of all certified Living Labs. However, the studies evaluating Living Lab business models in general and especially those focusing on health and wellbeing Living Labs are rare. By applying industry standard Business Model Canvas (BMC) approach, this study identifies what kind of attributes Health and Wellbeing Living Labs are including within nine business model canvas elements. The data grounded on 16 Baltic Sea region Health and Wellbeing Living Labs identified a great attribute variety, which are ranked based on popularity. Our findings clearly support previous suggestions which argue that Living Labs have common elements, but multiple different implementations. The need to develop Living Lab specific business modelling tools was recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The melancholic and changeable character of the Baltic Sea has often been used in the painting of the romantic period. The sea and its beaches were also an important composition element as well as a supplement of Baltic coastal gardens which were founded in West Prussia in the 19th century. Gardens set up on the coast used various moods of nature, as well as extensive and beautiful sea landscapes, often leading to nostalgia. The spectacle of the sea was becoming an element of a park: a real element - a spatial part, absorbing attention and senses, as well as a subconscious one - creating atmosphere and leading to nostalgia. The landscape garden located next to the palace in Rutzkau (currently Rzucewo), which was designed by Peter Joseph Lenné in the middle of the 19th century, is an exceptional example of using the sea and the beach space. In Zoppot (Sopot) or Oliva (nowadays Gdańsk-Oliwa) various manors and coastal villas were accompanied by gardens with vistas and view openings overlooking the sea and the beach. Another interesting group of coastal gardens included spa parks in Danzig (Gdańsk) or Zoppot as well as in other smaller spa locations. The analysis of the seascape and the sea as integral elements in coastal gardens shows new aspects of landscape art, and develops studies of landscape architecture in West Prussia. This side of the topic of Baltic coastal gardens in West Prussia has not been the subject of comprehensive research until now. The knowledge about this link between garden and water is very specific and important for history of landscape architecture in West Prussia (formerly a German region, currently a part of Poland). Also acknowledging the heritage of Prussian gardens has great impact on their conservation and preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the history, architecture and development of the Eastern Battery (also known as the Gerhard Fort) - one of three remaining coastal forts in Świnoujście (former Swinemünde) located in northern Poland, by the Baltic Sea. The research is mostly based on historical cartographic material and architectural plans verified during field studies. This data served to create a digital model - one of the results of the study, as well as a research tool helping to detect and visualize transformations of the fort. Thanks to the rich archival collection and good preservation state of the object, it was possible to determine all its stages of construction and modernization between 1848 and 1905, which had not yet been included in contemporary literature. It appeared to be an outstanding example of how coastal fortifications developed, under the influence of new armament and construction materials, during the second half of ninetieth century. This knowledge completes the historiography of military architecture but can also be useful during the ongoing process of restauration of the fort, which serves as a museum and is a significant tourist attraction in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese tourists are increasingly more interested and travel around the Baltic Sea countries including Latvia, Estonia and Finland. Compared to Central Europe and West Europe, the Baltic Sea region is safer and offers varied tourism opportunities. High potential exists in the Japanese market for Latvia, Estonia and Finland, but exploitation requires development, redesign/adaptation and promotion of suitable products which take account of Japanese customs, culture, language and expectations. The challenges on the international level are: 1) to raise SME awareness of Japanese market requirements and develop products to suit these; 2) to create awareness of Estonia, Latvia, and Finland products with Japanese tourism operators and tourism agencies. This research focuses on the first challenge - is the rural tourism companies ready to receive visitors from Japan. The aim of the research - to investigate the readiness of rural tourism providers in Latvia, Estonia and Finland to focus on Japanese tourist. To achieve the aim, the fallowing methods are used: monographic, analysis and synthesis, statistical data calculations and the survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the topical issue of international environmental cooperation in the field of water resources protection in the Baltic region. As of the beginning of the XXI century it was possible to observe the negative trend that was developing in the waters of the Baltic Sea and posing a threat to the whole hydrosphere of the region. In the course of the study it was stressed that due to the border neighborhood and the unity of the adjacent water area, international cooperation for many years was built between nine major states: Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Germany. The experience of cooperation between Russia and Germany in the Baltic territories was particularly emphasized. Also, it was revealed that the use of the waters of the Baltic Sea affected the interests of Norway, Ukraine, Belarus, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The article mentions the history of the formation of international regulation and legal acts aimed at protecting the security of the Baltic Sea. The main ecological problems of inland waters of the Baltic Sea are considered, the possible ways of their solution are indicated. As the most dangerous problems of the Baltic Sea, chemical changes in the composition of sea water and the accumulation of harmful elements in it due to industrial emissions, municipal waste, the burial of shells and chemical munitions, and sunken ships were mentioned. The researchers have studied in detail the development of the legislative framework and international acts in the field of nature protection related to inland waters. The study noted a number of measures of interstate cooperation with major environmental organizations, the early application of which in the Baltic Sea by countries whose territories are part of the region will minimize the consequences of damage already inflicted on the biosphere. Possible preventive measures were indicated to stabilize and restore the normal hydroecological situation. The authors noted that the study of this issue could positively influence the creation of experience in organizing international environmental activities not only in the Baltic area, but also in relation to all major inland water sources of the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A geographical location, an atmospheric circulation, a terrain sculpture and the presence of water reservoirs determine thermal conditions in Poland. The influence of these factors overlaps an impact of local factors as well as the effects of air transformation as a result of the process of an energy exchange at the interface between the atmosphere and its surface. The thermal conditions prevailing in a specific area can be determined on the basis of average values and extreme air temperatures. These characteristics are supplemented by the amplitudes of air temperature: the daily temperature amplitude and the annual temperature amplitude. The aim of the article is, therefore, to determine the variation in daily fluctuations in air temperature in the north-west of Poland, depending on atmospheric and geographical factors. The daily amplitude is an important informative indicator of the range of daily temperature fluctuations and climatic features of the analyzed area. Large diurnal fluctuations of air temperature can cause strong radiative cooling of the lower layers of the troposphere and contribute to the creation of, for example, an inversion of temperature, mist, haze, dew, frost, and a temperature drop below zero. The occurrence of these phenomena is important in the economic aspect (especially in agriculture) as well as in transport safety. The analysis of changes in the daily amplitude in the long-term course, 1951-2010, will also allow assessing whether climate conditions change, since the daily amplitude is an important indicator for the assessment of assessing oceanic and continental climate features. In the article, the area of north-western Poland was selected for the analysis. This is the area where, besides the impact of the ocean and land, the Baltic Sea exerts an influence on shaping some of the characteristics of the air temperature distribution. Atmospheric circulation and related advection of air masses, transport of water vapour in the lower atmosphere, development of convective movements and gradual transformation of air masses on the way from the Atlantic coast causing an increase in the thermal continentalism towards the east, play an important role here. The study was based on 24-hour air temperature data for 13 stations within the period of 1951-2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baltic Sea is suffering from extended surplus of phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants. It causes diminishing biodiversity and increased eutrophication (mainly due to nitrogen and phosphorous in various substances). The common effort in the region is environmental standpoint in sustainable circular economy. Oil pollutants, heavy metals, organic substances are being released to the Baltic Sea and consequences for maritime environment are serious. However, Baltic Sea Region is one of the most innovative regions in the world considering environmental technology development. The interregional potential is about to solve the above mentioned challenges there were developed the project "Reviving Baltic Resilience (RBR)". By using prior experiences in other EU projects as well as continuously working and acquiring new data and knowledge, our aim is to test at proactive methods/technologies for preventing pollution reaching the maritime environment and entering biological chains. The paper focuses on three novel case studies: 1) pollution prevention through phytoremediation at landfill close to the sea; 2) studies on sludge deposits with focus on recovery potential; 3) prevention of release of pollutants from sediments in bays and lagoons. This project was supported by Interreg South Baltic program "Reviving Baltic Resilience" (RBR) and Swedish Institute "PECEC". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf of Finland belongs to the large bays of the Baltic Sea. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is an estuary of the Neva River. The heterogeneity of its water masses is typical for the eastern part of the bay. The main reason of such issue is the significant spatial variability of water salinity. The salinity regime is largely determined by the flow of fresh water from the Neva Bay and the spread of seawater from the western parts of the Gulf of Finland. There is a weakening of the influence of river flow and an increase in the influence of saline waters in the direction from east to west. That is why in the eastern part of the bay the general increase of water salinity appears from east to west. The considerable spatial variability of water salinity in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland creates conditions for the habitats in the plankton for representatives of three ecological complexes: freshwater, brackish and euryhaline-marine. The distribution features of representatives of the indicated ecological complexes in the water area of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland are considered in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of climate change on the frequency and magnitude of marine hazards (extreme) events. The study was carried out for the Baltic Sea, which is under increasing pressure of maritime activities and becomes more vulnerable to climatic effects due to declining seasonal ice cover. Estimates of extreme events are derived from the current global and regional hydrodynamic climate models that have been used to define the marine boundary conditions, atmospheric and riverine forcing for the Baltic Sea in a modern and future climate. The frequency of occurrence of extreme events in the modern and future climate has been assessed for indicators identified by HELCOM and describing the ecological status of the Baltic Sea. These indicators include: 1) the surface winter concentration of nutrients, 2) chlorophyll-a concentration, 3) duration and area covered by hypoxic and anoxic zones in deep layers. Additionally the temperature of the photic layer is considered as the main indicator which determines the phytoplankton functioning. Model calculations using the St. Petersburg Baltic Eutrophication Model (SPBEM) were performed for the three climatic periods: the current climate - 1970-2010, and two periods to future climate - 2011-2050 and 2051-2090. Comparison of the calculated probabilities for the different areas of the Baltic Sea in the anomalies of the average winter temperature showed that the frequency of occurrence of extremely warm winter conditions in future climate will increase compared to the current climate. The probability of occurrence of extreme values of hypoxic areas in the future climate will decline. However, the area occupied by the hypoxia will increase, which apparently is due to a decrease in the winter mixing depth with climate warming. The frequency of occurrence of extreme blue-green algae blooms in the future climate will increase in the Gulf of Bothnia and decline in the Bornholm and Arkona basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the work is to assess consequences of polychaetes Marenzelleria spp. invasion for the Gulf of Finland ecosystem in a future climate. With this objective benthic submodel of the 3-dimentional eco-hydrodynamic Saint-Petersburg Baltic sea Eutrophication Model (SPBEM) was applied. In the model 4 numerical experiments were carried out: 1) 2 control runs excluding the effects of Marenzelleria spp. under two different scenarios of global climate change (based on ECHAM5 model of Max Planck Institute of Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany and on HadCM3 model of the Hadley Centre in the UK) and 2) 2 runs considering these effects under the same two climate change scenarios. The model was run from 2007 till 2040 years. Results show that in all 4 scenarios cyanobacteria biomass decreases in the future climate that eventually is due to weakening of density stratification in the Gulf of Finland. Allowing for in the model bioirrigation activities of Marenzelleria spp. leads to additional decrease in summer biomass of cyanobacteria. This effect is stronger in HadCM3 scenario (decrease by average 43%) than in ECHAM5 scenario (decrease by 15%). Phosphorus content in the sediments responds to the polychate's activity the opposite way: P increases by 5.6% and 1.75% in ECHAM5 and HadCM3 scenarios, respectively. Hence, model reaction to the allowance for Marenzelleria spp. effects was stronger in a warmer climate (HadCM3 scenario) and this scenario shows strengthening of phosphorus limitation. Thus, bioirrigation activities of invasive Marenzelleria spp. can improve the ecosystem health of the Gulf of Finland in the next three decades through improvement in the oxygen conditions near the bottom. These changes might slow/reduce the intensity of eutrophication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of the Baltic Sea for the largest container vessels is limited primarily to the depth of the Danish Straits. Ships with maximum dimensions of technical for shipping by the Danish Strait are called Baltimax. Currently, the theoretical size of the dimensions of the vessels are as follows: draught 15 m, width 42-48 m, length 240 - 260 m, capacity 100-120 thousand DWT. Therefore, the authors have analyzed the actual draught consumables container ships of the three largest companies in the world in terms of availability of The Danish and the Baltic Sea for the biggest of them. The research was conducted on the basis of an analysis of traffic stream of ships from AIS (Automatic Identification System). Were analyzed only container ships close to the maximum container vessel for which at the moment is the container terminal in Gdańsk and for which will be adapted and planned Container Terminal in Świnoujście. Leading authors focused measurements on a single parameter which is the draught of the vessel and on its limitations caused by Nordstream. In the article an attempt to demonstrate that the draught of the vessel are not fully used during the operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Human & Nature Safety is the property of Vytautas Magnus University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose – In the Baltic Sea basin a particularly serious barrier to the development of coastal tourism is its seasonality. Its consequence is a lack of opportunities for sustainable development, which leads to imbalance in terms of local economy, the environment and social inequalities and tensions. The objective of this paper is to present the possible methods of overcoming negative effects of seasonality in the Polish coastal regions, especially in the Pomorskie Voivodship. Methodology – The study used a number of analytical methods based on sources obtained through desk research: the critical analysis of materials from the subject’s literature, statistical reports and an analysis of official documents, normative acts and regional strategies. The empirical part, presented in the form of a case study, was developed on the basis of results of expert interviews, including IDI representative of the regional tourist organization. Findings – Infrastructure used by the coastal tourism sector and the previous offer and practice of coastal tourism on the Polish coast have created mass tourism with neutral price elasticity of demand. Such a character of demand eliminates the effectiveness of some marketing tools. Contribution – Critical analysis of documents from the EU to the local levels of governance of coastal tourism has shown that there is a gap in this linkage of documents. There are not any strategies or plans at the national level dedicated to coastal tourism. This means that the framework of activity set at the supranational level is not effectively used by Poland. Local solutions without national government support may not generate the expected results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ner river and its valley for over 170 years has been receiver for sewages from the city of Łódź. The natural system of this region (on the border of the watershed location, limitations of water supplies sources, lack of bigger natural rivers) in connection to city growth, lead to forming of specific system involving an agglomeration and water supplies system as well as wastewaters utilization system. The Ner river valley has the great potential to be effective in production biomass for energy purposes. Irrigation with polluted Ner river water cover fast growing plants high water and nutritional requirements. This would also work for the improvement of Ner river water quality. The achievement of good quality of water is not possible without irrigation of agricultural land in river valley. An amount of sewage discharged to Ner (193,017 m3 per day) several times higher then its natural flow in river. This is a result of strategy of water supply that is supported by transfer of water from Pilica river and underground water uptake for agglomeration. Relatively high runoff coefficient in years 1952 - 2011 was equal to 0.325 for Ner, in comparison to 0.17 for other rivers in Warta watershed. Despite the low natural flow Ner river discharges annually relatively high contaminants' load to Warta river. In the analysed period (1995-2003) the annual average flow of Ner river amounted 10 % of annual average Warta river flow below its estuary. The share of analysed indicators of contaminants' load approximated 27 % for total nitrogen, 37 % for phosphorus, 39 % for BOD5 and 28% for suspended solids. In the period 2004-2011 the annual average flow of Ner river amounted 13.8 % of annual average Warta river flow. The share of investigated pollutants loads consists 27.9 % for total nitrogen, 42.6 % for phosphorus, 19.8 % for BOD5 and 19.6 % for suspended solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural production is one of the main sources of nitrogen and phosphorous inputs to the water bodies. Quantifying nutrient input from agriculture is needed both to develop effective environmental measures and to justify the technologies to be applied with due account for local natural and climatic conditions. Several related national studies have been conducted since 2015. Institute for Engineering and Environmental Problems in Agricultural Production (IEEP) methodology was used for this purpose. It determines the nitrogen and phosphorus content in the arable layer, including N and P amounts applied with mineral and organic fertilisers. Such factors as soil type and texture, the distance to the water bodies and the land use structure are used to estimate the nutrient input to the water bodies. In addition, the consistency of manure handling technologies with Best Available Techniques (BAT) principles is taken into account through introduction of relevant coefficients. Calculation results according to IEEP methodology were used in the followup general assessment of the nutrient load on the water bodies from different sources with the use of Institute of Limnology Load Model. Satisfactory correspondence between the assessment results and the values calculated using the monitoring data confirmed the adequacy of the above assessment procedure. Following its outcomes, the nutrient reduction potential of agricultural sources is approximately 10-20 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When studying integration processes, the term tourist integration must be identified. The theoretical basis of this term is the transactional concept of the regional integration theory. According to the literature studies contacts and relationships are one of the measures of integration. In this paper the authors focused on the relationships between tourism and sea transport in the Baltic Sea Region. Using their own criteria, they carried out a quantitative and qualitative assessment of tourist integration in the context of the development of ferry transport services in the period 2001-2015. As regards the relations, there was a slight progress, but the connections slightly regressed. Despite the strong competition of air transport, ferry transport played an important role in tourist integration of the Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference of Daugavpils University / Daugavpils Universitates Starptautiskas Zinatniskas Konferences Materiali is the property of Daugavpils University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Kriegers Flak Combined Grid Solution (KF CGS) is a hybrid-asset project in the Baltic Sea combining the grid-connection of the already established offshore wind power plants (OWPP) Baltic 1 (48.3 MW) and Baltic 2 (288 MW) to Germany and the under commissioning Kriegers Flak A (KFA, 200 MW)) and Kriegers Flak B (KFB, 400 MW) to Denmark with an offshore interconnector between the two countries. The interconnector utilizes the existed and added HVAC assets and a HVDC Back-to-Back Converter Station (BtB, 400 MW) with the Voltage-Source Converter (VSC) technology at the German shoreline. In contrast to common radial connections of the offshore wind power, the Danish grid-connection section will be a 220 kV meshed offshore grid (MOG) and have two gridconnection substations in the Danish transmission grid. This presentation deals with a dynamic stability assessment of the Danish transmission grid with establishment of 600 MW OWPP at Kriegers Flak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the research results of the network project on "Cross-border clustering in the dynamics of economic and residential systems of coastal areas of European Russia" implemented by the scholars of four leading universities of Russia with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation. The study is focused on geospatial identification, socio-economic parameterization and structuring of the coastal zone of Russia. The detailed characteristics of its most important segments - the Baltic and the Black Sea-Azov coastal zones, are given. The main factors of formation of the long-term, permanent and tactical (i.e. associated with the crisis processes and changes in the geopolitical and geo-economic situation) cross-border clusters in the coastal areas of Russia are analyzed. An inventory of the most important cross-border clusters, localized in the Kaliningrad, Leningrad, Rostov and Krasnodar regions is carried out. Their impact on the regional economy and the dynamics of the settlement system is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rise in sea level is associated with global warming and melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Precise monitoring of changes in the mean sea level of the Baltic Sea is very important for understanding not only the climate, but also the socioeconomic consequences of any rise in sea level. Opening and closing connections of the Baltic Sea with the ocean causes changes in sea level, and hence also the change in the position of the shoreline which is very diverse. The aim of the study is to highlight the contribution of satellite altimetry and give a complete view of the change rise in Baltic Sea level over several years. A trend and forecast changes of the sea level rise, as well as the composition of the time series will be assessed. Satellite altimetry data will be used, because this technology measures sea surface high and other characteristics of a sea surface, which is key to monitor sea level rise and global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Church buildings are visually expressive dominants of the landscape; however, the sacral landscapes have not been extensively researched. In order to reveal the character of church landscapes and its elements, a thorough appraisal of the selection of indicators, of their scale. A particular method of research has been employed for characterisation of the church landscape in Kurzeme, on the shore of the Baltic Sea and along the bay, synthesized by a way of such specific research method as imageability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the cooperation between police and border guard authorities in the Baltic Sea area and primarily one collaborative project initiated by the Stockholm border police (co-funded by the EU). The purpose of the project is to decrease trans-boundary criminality and improve day-today cooperation between police and border officers in the Baltic Sea region. The participants are police and border authorities in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. Earlier research on collaboration shows that cooperation comprises problems and conflicts. The purpose of this study is to map and analyze how the staff of the different organizations experience, understand, and define obstacles of cooperation as well as successful cooperation, and which interactive and discursive patterns are involved in the construction of this phenomenon. The empirical basis for this study are qualitative interviews and field observations of organized intelligence and operational meetings and informal meetings before and after the organized meetings conducted during visits to different organization. This study suggests that the border officers and police re-negotiate spatial and cultural identities to make cooperation possible. Close cooperation and performing mundane work practices together entail an emerging idea of a shared EU border police "culture". The notion of common northern European identity is described as an important feature for successful cooperation, but at the same time, conflicting views of regional and historical differences between the countries involved are expressed. Despite the alleged cultural differences and similarities, the border officers claim that cooperation between the countries is vital in order to protect EU territory and Schengen space from externalthreats and criminal activity. When some border officers create a distance from criminals and other professional partners, conflicts can be erased so as to generate new conditions for cooperation. Construction and reconstruction of collaboration obstacles and success is an ongoing, interactive process. Presentation of the proper interaction moral is created and re-created during interactions and appears in the myriad everyday interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed sea with remarkable cyclonic circulation. The most attention must be paid to the local-scale factors playing the significant role in the overall figures. Fresh water inflow takes the majority of the mass budget income thus enabling local streams. The bathymetry of the Lithuanian Baltic zone is lowering gradually towards the open sea and has no significant deeps or depths. As the little exception there is a deeper basin, which stretches from the Curonian Spit until it reaches the approaches of the Southern Gotland Deep. The long-term investigations of spatial seasonal distribution of inorganic nutrients (nitrite, nitrate and orthophosphate) resulted to some regularities depending on prevailing wind scale duration and force. The results obtained during the experiment showed the complicacy of field structure. Extremely heterogeneous patterns of nutrients are formed when northern or eastern winds or breezes are prevailing. After the other wind directions significant decrease of heterogeneity was observed. Assessment showed that Curonian Lagoon water entering the Baltic Sea is enriched with dissolved inorganic nitrogen 6 times more and dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentration is higher by 2 times in comparison to the open sea values in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses offshore wind power development and offshore grid options in the Baltic Sea region. The approach in this study links offshore wind power plant clustering, onshore connection point determination, offshore grid structure optimisation, unit commitment and economic dispatch simulation and power flow calculation together. The study compares the investment costs of different offshore grid topologies as well as the impacts of the offshore grids on the total operational costs of the power system, electricity production by fuel type, wind power curtailment and greenhouse gas emissions. The results show that additional interconnections between price regions are beneficial in the Baltic Sea region and topologies consisting of two-terminal links may beat multi-terminal links in profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Lithuanian coastal observations registers missing data of visual wave observations occur because of the fog, ice, evaporation or other meteorological phenomenon. There is also inconsistency in instrumental measurements of wave heights in the Lithuanian coast due to technical issues. First step to fill the gaps in the wave height data is to find a correlation between wind speeds and wave heights. In this study correlation coefficients for Nida and Klaipėda coastal hydrometeorological stations data both taking and not taking into consideration wind blowing directions were calculated. Every data set used in this study was treated separately and it was revealed that applying nonlinear regression the most common model for wind-wave relationship analysis on Lithuanian coast is DR-Hill model, while applying multivariable regression it is Full Cubic model. Relationship between wind speeds and wave heights always can be improved by removing swell waves from correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leakage of nutrients from agricultural land is one of the main causes of eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. The international project "Baltic Sea 2020" carries out research and measures to reduced leakage from agriculture and seeks to bind phosphorus leaching from agricultural land in the ditch close to the source, thereby reducing the discharge of phosphorus to the sea. The results obtained in Lithuania show that the efficiency of tested filter materials varies widely during the reporting period. Mean concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in the outflow from all tested filter materials differed significantly from those in ditch water. The filter material Polonite was distinguished by highest reduction capacity of TP (57% on the average). Slightly less reduction (by 49%) was determined using Granulated blast furnace slag and the least (26%) using Filtralite-P. Reduction capacity of phosphate phosphorus (PO4-P) was a few percentage points lower: Polonite - 52%, Slag - 44% and Filtralite-P - 20% on the average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of aerosols to the signals at top of the atmosphere must be accounted for remote sensing of the ocean and land surface, which is known as atmospheric correction. Validation of atmospheric correction procedures require ground based measurements of aerosol properties. Ground based measurements of aerosol properties give also a basis for validation of the aerosol models used by atmospheric correction algorithms. Ground based measurements of aerosol properties have been performed in the coastal area of the southern Baltic Sea and near Berlin with a Microtops II Sunphotometer and a Microtops II ozone monitor, both onboard a ship and on the land surface. The present paper gives examples of atmospheric parameters which can be obtained from Microtops measurements and reports some experience how to perform and analyze these measurements. Then application of these results is demonstrated with 2 examples. Validation of atmospheric correction algorithms is demonstrated with a comparison of aerosol optical thickness resulting from satellite data with total column aerosol optical thickness from ground based measurements at time of satellite overpass. The agreement is better than 0.03 at 750 nm. Another example uses the aerosol properties found from ground based measurements as input to radiative transfer modeling of the signals received at satellite. The agreement between modeled and measured signals is fine within the expectable uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the coastal landscape in Latvia was affected by various factors during different periods of time; the economic development and legislative rules are among them. The aim of this paper is to study and analyse how these factors have influenced the coastal landscape, identify spatial, functional and visual changes as well as inter-relationships between the factors and changes in the landscape. The study presents the analysis of the impact of legislative rules and economic development on the coastal landscape in Latvia during three historical periods: the Soviet period, the period of regaining independence in Latvia as a period of trasition, and the present period. The selected objects of the study - Ainazi, Saulkrasti, Kolka, Liepaja - are of different scales and with individual historical development. The main conclusion of the study is that both heavy restrictions in the Soviet period and rapid yet unclearly defined development in the period of transition and present period are in contradiction to the landscape, thus irreversibly changing the identity of the coastal landscape as well as the spatial, visual and functional aspects. Taking all this into consideration, when planning the coastal landscape and improving the legislative rules in future, it is important to establish a vision of sustainable development, take actions at the regional as well as national levels, and identify the priorities at the local level emphasizing the identity of the landscape, cultural, archaeological and natural values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baltic Sea Region can be regarded as a showcase for the sustainable production and consumption of bioenergy and a frontrunner in innovative technological, policy and business solutions. However, there are a number of environmental sustainability risks associated with increased energy uses of biomass from forestry and agriculture, which also in the future need to be adequately addressed by EU and national legislation. Supporting the sustainable production and consumption of bioenergy in the Baltic Sea Region has been one of the key rationales of the INTERREG IV B project Bioenergy Promotion, which was selected as one of the flagship projects under the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The following paper summarizes selected project findings and recommendations derived from the policy related project work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to demonstrate the use of various cartographic, photographic and GPS sources in assessing shoreline changes in order to study coastal evolution in relation to temporal variations in climatic and hydrodynamic conditions. The study focuses on Osmussaar Island, NW Estonia. The combination of increasing storminess and a decrease in sea ice have led to the vitalization of coastal processes and changes in the existing equilibrium of coastal evolution in the recent decades. The island is slowly retreating on the northern side and migrating seaward in the southern part. The rate of coastal change in 1980s and 1990s has increased six times compared the previous decades. As a result, erosion has begun to occur in a zone which previously saw primarily sediment transport. Furthermore, even though the rate of shore changes has decreased during the last decade, it still exceeds twice that of what was measured before the 1980s. Field experiments with painted sediments have showed that the waves are capable of transporting gravel-pebble even at depths of 4 m. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper presents a new marine ecosystem model designed for the Baltic Sea. The ecosystem 3D CEMBS model has been developed for incorporation into the 3D POPCICE ocean-ice model. The Current Baltic Sea model is based on the Community Earth System Model (CESM from NCAR — the National Center for Atmospheric Research). CESM was adapted for the Baltic Sea as a coupled sea-ice model. It consists of the Community Ice Code (CICE model, version 4.0) and the Parallel Ocean Program (version 2.1). The ecosystem model — the biological submodel consists of eleven mass conservation equations. There are eleven partial second-order differential equations of the diffusion type with the advective term for phytoplankton (three classes: small and large phytoplankton and cyanobacteria), zooplankton, nutrients (four components: NO3, NH4, PO4 and SiO3), dissolved oxygen, and dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM). This model is an effective tool for solving the problem of ecosystem bioproductivity and was tested for five selected localities [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Quantitative provenance provides a valuable, site-specific perspective for environmental modelling and assessment, complementing "end-of-pipe" observations that tend to treat basins as a whole. Detailed mineralogical and grain-size distributions also allow interpretations of transport pathways, site dynamics, and source-to-deposit relations. Three case studies from the Baltic Sea are summarized. 1) The Ventspils harbor (Latvia) is a straightforward mixing of two, well defined sources within an estuary-harbor setting. Sand transport modes and directional interpretations are derived from textural trends. 2) Three main sediment sources are recognized in the silt and clay fraction of sandy deposits along the coast of Lithuania. The sources are interpreted from literature information, but further specified by back-calculation of characteristic minerals in the resulting deposits. 3) During the Holocene, the Landsort Deep has received varying amounts of fine-grained sediments from glacial meltwaters, land runoff (mainly soil erosion) and sea-floor erosion. These are partitioned over time using trends in the mineralogy connected to a conceptual model of source compositions. The objectives of environmental assessment should ideally include the source identification, mass-flux budgets and process modeling from provenance studies whenever possible. Therefore, simple and common sediment parameters (mineralogy and grain size) have a lot to give beyond their traditional applications in geology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

239,240Pu and 241Am bonding in bottom sediments collected in the Baltic Sea in 2007-2008 was studied using extraction methods. Humic substances were fractionated using a conventional alkaline treatment, and humic acids, fulvic acids, dialyzable fulvic acid fractions were separated. The different partitioning of Pu and Am was found. Americium was mostly associated with humic substances, while plutonium was found in residue. Data obtained using sequential extraction methods confirmed a different association of Pu and Am in bottom sediments. All isolated fractions were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectrometry. The preliminary results showed that humic substances played an important role in binding of Pu and Am in bottom sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the significance of the European Union (EU) Baltic Sea Strategy to the recovery of the transit services across the Baltic States. It states that the significance of the Baltic Sea has increased because it has become an EU-internal sea. It infers that the improvement of internal and external transport adds to the higher competitiveness of the Baltic Sea region and increase its accessibility and attractiveness.

The article deals with the problem of regional identity in the Baltic region. The author tries to reveal if there is any common Baltic identity that could unite the countries around the Baltic Sea. According the particular research strategy, the quest for regional identity is exercised through three main layers as common historical experience, close linkages and cooperative institutions, and common norms. It turned out that Baltic regional identity lacks of a strong uniting idea that could serve for the deeper cooperation across the Baltic Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper targets to create a model that will explain the presence and the evolution of Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (FDI) in foreign countries. We focus on two regions, that of Balkans Peninsula and that of Baltic Sea region. The forms of FDI are presented as well as its connection with the economic growth and the prosperity of the countries and their population. At the same time we review on a large amount of determinants of the FDI net inflows in a country. Based on a panel data analysis of 8 selected and representative economies by these specific regions, we advocate that there are certain determinants that influence the inflow of the FDI and their investors to host markets. An econometric-factor analysis is applied in order to investigate the effect of these determinants and their importance on FDI inflows. Our results indicate that the impact of the independent variables vary according to the model. The impacts of the independent variables indicate that we cannot have a unique and uniformed model in order to decide about the factors that attract FDI and to calculate their impact. Each one of the factor that we employ has a different influence to the attractiveness of FDI, according to the region or the country. We could say that our results are in accordance to those of Niazi et al. (2011) where the authors mentioned that inflation has a negative but insignificant impact on FDI. On the other hand, statistical analysis proves that variables that seem to be really important according to the literature, like GDP growth and/or population, are important in the full sample and in Balkans but in the region of Baltic Sea are not significant. All of these elements indicate the variety of the influences on the model by the indicators according to the sample that we investigate in. Overall, the results suggest that governments should pay attention to determinants that create a friendly, technologically developed and open to foreign investments business environment since they are strongly significant for the attractiveness of FDI inflows. Also, the analysis suggests that the determinants of FDI inflows change from region to region and from country to country. The investor has to take into account the characteristics of the countries and judge how these influence the determinants and at the same time governments have to create a stable fiscal-economic environment with low inflation rates in order to attract foreign investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]