Climate change is affecting the Baltic Sea and every winter less ice coverage forms. When there is less ice, the waves become stronger.
When discussing how climate change impacts the Baltic Sea, marine scientist Tarmo Soomere says there are two aspects to consider. One is how climate change affects the marine environment and its functioning. The other is how changes in the Baltic Sea’s coastlines indicate that the climate has changed. Soomere and his team study the latter.
For example, the extent of climate change in the Baltic Sea can be understood through rising water temperatures. Soomere explained that last spring and summer, the sea temperature during a certain period was about 10 degrees warmer than the multi-year average. Another clear change is the decrease in ice cover. Over the past hundred years, the duration of ice coverage has shortened by nearly two months.
The weaker the sea ice that forms, the more easily the wind pushes it toward Finland, increasing the workload for Finnish icebreakers. “If the ice disappears entirely, wave energy increases by one and a half times. This means that those who have built houses on the shore will soon find themselves in deep water. Likewise, those who use maritime routes will have to dredge waterways more frequently,” the marine scientist explained.
Warmer water temperatures also have environmental consequences. The northern part of the Baltic Sea frequently suffers from oxygen deficiency, which is exacerbated by climate warming. When the surface layer is fresher and warmer, while the deeper layer is colder and saltier, the lighter warm freshwater does not push oxygen-rich water to the seabed. As a result, less oxygen reaches the seafloor, endangering marine life as oxygen levels become insufficient for aquatic organisms.
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