protectbaltic

🌊Baltic Sea protection has reached 20.9% — more than double the global average!💙

Our latest regional analysis delivers the most comprehensive MPA mapping in the Baltic Sea to date — 2,802 protected sites — 15x increase compared to data available before the project.

protectbaltic.eu/news/f/balti...

Flag of Latvia on a boat dock in celebration of Latvia's National Day

Happy Latvian National Day! | Priecīgu Latvijas Republikas proklamēšanas dienu! ❤️🤍❤️

A heartfelt thank you to our Latvian partners—AKTiiVS—for your invaluable contributions to our work on ecosystem services within the project.

Liels paldies!

Credit: Robertas Kubilius

Credit: Robertas Kubilius

Credit: Robertas Kubilius

Credit: Robertas Kubilius

💧 Lithuania’s Nemunas Delta — where river meets sea — filters and renews the Baltic. A haven for 300+ bird species, it traps nutrients, restores floods, and keeps the Baltic breathing.
🌍 Protecting rivers means protecting the sea.

Check our latest #MPAHighlight maps.helcom.fi/portal/apps/...

💙 We’ve expanded our website.

💡 Explore our work packages and see how each contributes to protecting the Baltic Sea.

📄 Access our outputs with ease: browse our published deliverables, explore our Zenodo repository, and see what’s coming next.

👉 protectbaltic.eu

Happy 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘆! ❤️🖤💛

Grateful to our German partners 𝗕𝗳𝗡 & 𝗝𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗹𝗲 for championing a healthy Baltic Sea. 🌊

Your knowledge & dedication are vital for protecting our shared ecosystems.

𝗩𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗸!

🌊 That’s a wrap on the PROTECT BALTIC Annual Meeting!

A heartfelt thank you to all our partners and colleagues for coming together to share insights, strengthen collaboration, and drive our shared mission forward. 💙

🤝 Our project has launched a series of 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗪𝗣 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 — connecting the dots between work packages. Each brings unique expertise, and by working together we turn separate pieces into real impact.

#Collaboration #StrongerTogether #Innovation

Baltic Sea

🌊 Data on 1,900+ MPAs gathered — more to come from Sweden, Finland, Latvia & Åland

⚖️ Measures: no-take zones, seasonal rules, restoration
⚠️ Pressures: overfishing, pollution, climate change
🔜 Next: public MPA Portal for managers & communities

💙 Turning data into action for a sustainable

🌊 At the PROTECT BALTIC meeting, 𝗝𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗴 (𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗣-𝗖𝗢𝗕𝗦𝗘𝗔) highlighted COBSEA’s work across 9 countries to fight marine pollution, protect biodiversity & boost climate resilience. A call was made for Baltic–East Asia collaboration on ocean protection.

#COBSEA #BlueEconomy

💻 𝗠𝗣𝗔 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹: 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲

🌊📊 PROTECT BALTIC is building a digital hub of data 📂, maps 🗺️ & tools 🛠️ on Baltic MPAs. Scientists, policymakers & citizens can explore what MPAs protect 🐟🌿 & it will become a HELCOM tool to ensure long-term impact

⚖️ 𝗟𝗮𝘄 & 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆: 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

📜🌊 PROTECT BALTIC reviews 🌍 international & 🇪🇺 EU frameworks, best practices 🌟 & tools like strict protection 🛡️ + OECMs. Clearer legal pathways 🛤️ & shared knowledge 🤝 = rules on paper 📑 becoming real protection 🐟🌿

🌿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸

Protection isn’t always enough – sometimes we must restore what’s lost 🌊

PROTECT BALTIC is creating an action plan 🗂️ & 🧰 toolbox to revive 🌿 seagrass meadows & wetlands, helping ecosystems recover 💙

👀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗰

🔍 To protect the sea, we must track what happens inside MPAs — nature 🌱🐟 & human pressures 🚢.

PROTECT BALTIC is reviewing systems & testing new tools to show what’s working ✅ and where action is needed 🎯.

#ProtectBaltic #Monitoring

🛡️ Are MPAs really working?

We are building a tool 🛠️ that checks if MPAs protect biodiversity 🐟🌱.

It combines data 📊 on conservation, human impacts 🚢⚓ & management 📝 to see if goals 🎯 are met—moving beyond “paper parks” 📄➡️🌊 to real protection 💙

climate change)

🏛️🌊 Protection isn’t just biology 🧬 it’s also governance.

We are building a shared framework so countries can act together 🤝 to:
🐟 Agree on ecosystem components
📖 Create a common vocab
🌱 Set shared vision & goals
🎯 Map needs for target-setting
🗂️ Build a regional threat matrix (incl.

💡🌊 Ecosystem services: The Baltic Sea gives us clean water 💧 carbon storage 🌱 food 🐟 & recreation 🏖️.

PROTECT BALTIC links species’ traits 🐚 to the services we rely on, showing how MPAs support both nature & people.

Mapping 📊🌍 will reveal hotspots ⭐ where protection matters most.

🔗 Coherence: making MPAs work as a network

🐠 Are species & habitats represented?
🔗 Are areas connected?
🌊 Are there enough replicas to withstand change?
🛡️ Are they big & resilient enough long-term?

Species dispersal models show where the network is strong — and where it needs reinforcement.

🌊

#Spatialmodelling

🗺️ We’re mapping Baltic biodiversity & human pressures – today & under future scenarios.

✔️ Where fish, seals & plants are found
✔️ Biodiversity hotspots needing protection
✔️ Human pressures like fishing & dredging

These maps guide smarter protection, restoration & management.

📊 Protecting the Baltic Sea starts with good data.

We’re compiling and harmonizing info on habitats, species & MPAs across countries—turning scattered datasets into a shared picture of the Baltic environment. This feeds into biodiversity databases, country profiles & our upcoming MPA Portal. 🌊

Good morning from our annual meeting in (relatively!) sunny Helsinki ☀️

Today we outline our progress. From gathering data and mapping biodiversity, to restoring habitats, shaping stronger laws & building digital tools, we’re working on many fronts to safeguard the future of our sea.

Stay tuned 💙

🌊🤝 Today marks the opening of our 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗖!

Our project partners from across the region have gather in Helsinki to share progress, exchange ideas, and strengthen collaboration for a healthier, more resilient Baltic Sea. 💙

Anchored in Impact event hosted by ProtectedSeas at UNOC 2025

'Anchored In Impact' event at #UNOC3, hosted by ProtectedSeas showed how data drives ocean protection.

As Dr Sylvia Earle told: “Knowledge is powerful. With knowledge comes caring & with caring we can make a difference.”

Because real transboundary protection requires shared understanding & care 💙🌍

Attendees at the Global MPA Community of Practice Workshop at UNOC 2025 on 8 June 2025

Attendees at the Global MPA Community of Practice Workshop at UNOC 2025 on 8 June 2025

🌊 @protectbaltic.bsky.social is at the Global MPA Community of Practice Workshop at #UNOC3 in Nice, sharing Baltic Sea work & learning from global marine protection efforts.

We're working across scales to build real MPA capacity—not just more area, but better protection.

#MPA #30x30 #OceanAction

🌊 The sea knows no borders – neither should marine protection!

Join us at #UNOC3 on 11 June in Nice (9:15–11:00 CEST) for our event on how the Baltic Sea shows the power of cross-border, data-driven cooperation.

🖊️ Register forms.office.com/e/agiNKeJdLe
🌐 More info protectbaltic.eu/un-ocean-con...

Photo credit: Karsten Dahl, Aarhus University

Læsø Trindel & Tønnerberg Banke back from the brink 🌊🐟
A bold restoration placed 60,000m³ of boulders on the seafloor—now cod, kelp & sea stars are starting to thrive again. Proof nature can rebound when we act.
🔗 protectbaltic.eu/laeso-trindel
#MPAHighlight #MarineConservation #SustainableOcean

It’s official, the MPA Community Network is live and we’re part of it! 🌊

A space for collaboration, shared tools, joint research & dialogue across MPAs.

🔗 Learn more: mpacommunity.network
🌐 Join us: bluebiomatch.hivebrite.com/feed
🔜 Your go-to hub for tools & best practice!

Stay tuned 💜

PROTECT BALTIC partners meet in Palanga, Lithuania to discuss monitoring and management effectiveness work.

🌊 Last week, our project partners gathered in beautiful Palanga, Lithuania for productive sessions on monitoring techniques and management effectiveness 💛💚❤️

Collaboration like this is what is steering our project! 💙

#ProtectBaltic #MarineProtectedAreas #BalticSea #MPAmonitoring #MPAmanagement