Programme: Archipelago and Islands Sub-programme
Priority: Safe and healthy environment
Direction of support: Raising environmental awareness (Finding new ways)

Despite extensive water protection measures, the state of the Baltic Sea is poor. Nutrient levels in the water and sediments are high, and poor oxygen conditions and “dead bottoms” exist in large archipelago areas in both Sweden and Finland. The Archipelago Sea in Finland, one of the areas, is listed as a hot spot by HELCOM.

The SEABED project improves the situation in the Baltic Sea by creating tools for the management of the eutrophied archipelago areas with a special focus on the quantification of the internal load of phosphorus. Furthermore, the project creates scenarios for the effects of climate change and eco-engineering measures in the Baltic Sea region.

By using existing data and new data from field studies, the partners can develop a more comprehensive joint water quality sediment model with a more detailed resolution in the archipelagos and a less detailed resolution in the open sea areas. The model framework will be used to run scenarios of water protection measures and environmental change in the project area.

Lead partner:
Åbo Akademi University, Finland (Turku)
www.abo.fi/huso/seabed