Back to summer issue 2002

Kari Raivio
Rector

The Baltic Sea, Mare Balticum, is the lifeline of the northern dimension of the European Union. It separates but also connects. For Finns it is our sea, Mare Nostrum, something much more than just a body of water. Throughout our history, it has transported goods and people, friends and foes, civilisation and crime, fine wines and smuggled vodka.

Unfortunately, the Baltic Sea is sick. Its ecological balance seems to be threatened. Eutrophication and pollution have caused problems that frequently make the headlines. Algal blooming occasionally turns the surface into pea soup, large areas of the bottom lack oxygen and appear dead. Malformed one-eyed herring with excessive dioxin and heavy metal content are indicators of toxic chemical accumulation. The causes of the sick sea include untreated sewage from St. Petersburg, industrial waste from Poland, fertiliser overflow from agriculture, fish cultivation, atmospheric pollutants, and maritime traffic, but their relative importance is unclear.

The condition of the Baltic Sea has long been monitored by researchers from the University of Helsinki, especially those working at the Tvärminne Zoological Station, which is strategically located at the junction of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic proper. Decades of observation illustrate the progression of the disease and provide clues for a better understanding of the process. This year, the Tvärminne Station celebrates its centennial. To commemorate this occasion, the University of Helsinki has started a campaign to raise funds for research and for collaboration between scientists both at home and around the Baltic rim.

On a smaller scale, researchers at the Department of Environmental Ecology have already shown the power of better knowledge. Lake Vesijärvi, near the city of Lahti, was decaying, stinking, and closed for swimming. After analysis of the causes, an effective treatment was devised, and now the lake is again clear and blue, its water safe for drinking. Although the magnitude of the problem is much greater in the Baltic, the principle of a research-based action plan is equally applicable.

As one example of a current trend in science, environmental problems require a multidisciplinary approach if research is to be successful. If an individual scientist attempts to be multidisciplinary, the result is superficiality in all the disciplines. The only solution is true collaboration between top-level researchers, each bringing the necessary expertise to achieve common goals. This is not an easy proposition, since many scientists have an innate suspicion of the intentions of their colleagues.

At the University of Helsinki, we have recently created an umbrella organisation that will link together groups interested in environmental research, with the help of some funding. We hope this provides a boost for co-operation and optimal exploitation of the human capital of a large multi-faculty university.