© Lisa Röpke
MEKUN: Protecting the oceans
The Baltic Sea and its secrets - Dive in!
Glittering waves, whitecaps, a wide horizon - mussels, seagrass, sometimes a starfish on the beach. But what actually lies beneath the surface and is the Baltic Sea something special? Dive in, discover the world of this unique inland sea and learn why the Baltic Sea is so worth protecting.
The inspiring beauty of the Baltic Sea
In addition to its ecological importance, the Baltic Sea is also a place of unrivalled beauty. The colours and shapes of its coastal landscapes fascinate with their diversity - from gentle sand dunes and forests to rugged cliffs. The tranquillity radiated by its waves and the diversity of its underwater life invite you to look at nature with open eyes and an open heart.
How the Baltic Sea was formed
The Baltic Sea is a comparatively young sea. It has its origins in the last ice age, around 12,000 years ago. At that time, the area was covered by a huge ice sheet, which slowly melted and left behind a large freshwater lake, the so-called Baltic Ice Lake. Over the following millennia, this lake was occasionally connected to the world ocean through the rising and falling of land masses and was thus alternately either a salty sea or a lake with fresh water. For more than 7000 years, however, the Baltic Sea has been a brackish sea. And this mixture of fresh and salt water still characterizes the Baltic Sea today and makes it a special habitat.
The Baltic Sea is a comparatively young and shallow sea, which makes its ecosystems particularly sensitive to environmental changes.
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© Anke Hofmeister
What makes the Baltic Sea so special
The Baltic Sea is very different from other seas. The further you follow the Baltic Sea from west to north-east, the lower its salt content becomes. This is because the water depth in the transition area between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, located between Denmark and Sweden, is very shallow, so that this natural ‘dorstep’ prevents fresh salt water from entering. As a result, the exchange of water is slow: in theory, it takes 25 to 30 years for all water particles to be exchanged. In the North Sea, this takes just two to three years. At the same time, the Baltic Sea has a huge water catchment area from which freshwater constantly flows into the Baltic Sea from the land. In addition, the Baltic Sea is a comparatively young and shallow sea, which makes its ecosystems particularly sensitive to environmental changes. Such characteristics offer both challenges and opportunities for the numerous species that live here.
© Wolf Wichmann
The importance of the Baltic Sea for men
The Baltic Sea plays a central role in the lives of people in the countries bordering it. On the one hand, it is an important economic resource: mineral resources such as sand and gravel, fishing, offshore wind power and shipping take up almost the entire sea area - not only in the Baltic Sea, but in all coastal seas worldwide. On the other hand, it is also a place of inspiration and recreation. Tourism is flourishing and millions of people find peace and relaxation in and on the water and beneath the surface. However, all of this also places a heavy burden on our Baltic Sea. Where there is a lot of utilisation, there also needs to be areas where the habitats and their inhabitants can develop freely and undisturbed.
You are welcome to visit our other stories on the storyboard and our homepage - there you will find further background information on the work of the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Environment and our seas.
schleswig-holstein.de - Marine protection
Or dive beneath the surface with the film ‘Our Baltic Sea’ and enjoy the world beneath the surface.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97vKSvMgBWE
Have fun!
Who and what needs to be protected?
The protection of the Baltic Sea includes all its inhabitants, from microscopic plankton species to large seals and seabirds. Habitats such as the sensitive seagrass meadows and kelp forests, which fulfil important ecological functions, are particularly at risk. Not only do they provide a habitat and nursery for many species, they also supply oxygen, purify the water of pathogens, bind CO2 and protect our coasts, thus forming the basis of a healthy Baltic Sea ecosystem. However, the entire ecosystem of the Baltic Sea is under threat due to its diverse use and other factors such as over-fertilisation, waste and climate change.
Protection and responsibility: Who looks after the Baltic Sea?
In Germany, various institutions and organisations are responsible for protecting the Baltic Sea. At a national level, environmental ministries and regional authorities work to preserve its habitats and biodiversity. However, as the Baltic Sea is surrounded by several countries, its protection requires international co-operation. The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) is a central platform dedicated to the conservation of the Baltic Sea and coordinates transnational measures. Non-governmental organisations are also passionately committed to this habitat. In Schleswig-Holstein, the Ministry of the Environment works with other ministries to implement the necessary conservation measures, thereby contributing to marine protection.
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