Baltic Sea: paradise for vacationers or threatened boom zone?
Baltic Sea: paradise for vacationers or threatened boom zone?
Trassenheide, Deutschland - The Baltic Sea, a popular holiday area, is not only home to many people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein, but also a fascinating ecosystem that is increasingly under pressure. The idyllic beaches and steep coasts of places such as Trassenheide on Usedom attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and are an important economic factor for the region. But the beautiful bays and the blue water hide a worrying reality.
like ndr , the Baltic Sea is shaped by many international conflicts and plays an important role in diplomacy. This is closely related to the ecological challenges, which are mainly caused by anthropogenic stress. The third holistic status report by Helcom (State of the Baltic Sea 2023) is open that the Baltic Sea is not in good condition and 94 % of the area are eutrophic, despite the sunken nutrient entries in recent years.
ecological challenges
The Helcom report clearly shows that the Baltic Sea suffers significantly from the consequences of intensive nutrient entries that were particularly high in the 1970s to 90s. These nutrients have enriched themselves in the sediments and can be solved under oxygen deficiency conditions, which contributes to eutrophication. The species composition in the water has also changed significantly due to these procedures. The evaluation thresholds continue to exceed pollutant loads of metals and difficult to break down substances and pose an additional danger to the marine biodiversity.
The decline in cable stations and the deterioration of the hering population, which suffers from overfishing, lack of oxygen and climate change, is particularly worrying. These changes indicate that the habitats of the Baltic Sea have changed dramatically and that it could take many decades for good condition to be achieved again.The role of tourism and environmental education
The Baltic Sea still remains a place of longing for tourists. Their economic value is undisputed because numerous fishermen, tourism companies and scientists rely on the healthy and sustainable use of the region. The Federal Environment Agency sees the current report an urgent request to actively implement the Baltic Action plan decided in 2021. This should improve the ecological situation in the Baltic Sea in the long term.
In view of the rising amounts of waste on beaches, especially land -based plastic sources,environmental education is also essential. The sensitization of vacationers and residents for sustainable behavior and the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem is a step in the right direction.
In view of these challenges, the Baltic Sea remains a place full of contrasts. As she attracts vacationers, her future requires committed action from politics, science and society to protect and preserve this valuable ecosystem| Details | |
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| Ort | Trassenheide, Deutschland |
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