The Gulf of Finland Science Days will be held in the Estonian Academy of Sciences in Tallinn, Estonia in 29-30 November, 2021.
The research program of the conference will include nearly 60 diverse oral and poster presentations covering different aspects of research done on Gulf of Finland by Estonian, Russian and Finnish marine scientists. The event is held in English and can be followed online by anyone interested.
The main goal of the annual conference is to improve the state of the environment in the Gulf of Finland through strengthened international cooperation. For this purpose researchers and senior government officials from Estonia, Finland and Russia will gather, to discuss environmental issues in the Gulf of Finland and to prepare the development and action plans. This year it is Estonia's turn to hold a conference.
The conference is supported by the Estonian Ministry of the Environment. Conference Reception will be held on November 29 in the Embassy of Finland, hosted by Timo Kantola, Head of Mission.
Conference video:
Day 1: Monday 29th November
| 9.30–10.00 | Coffee and registration |
| Opening Session | |
| 10.00–10.20 | Professor Tarmo Soomere, President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences Annely Akkermann, Estonian Parliament |
| 10.20–11.30 | Plenary Session Keynote, Chair Tarmo Soomere |
| Comprehensive monitoring of nutrients and their loads is essential for GOF state evaluations Heikki Pitkänen, Seppo Knuuttila, Jouni Lehtoranta, Mika Raateoja, SYKE. Video | |
| Gulf of Finland coastal systems: Holocene development and human impact. Darya Ryabchuk, VSEGEI. Video | |
| Current knowledge about past and future climate changes in the Gulf of Finland region Markus Meier, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde and University of Rostock. Video | |
| 11.30–11.50 | Coffee |
| 11.50–13.00 | Session 1: Marine spatial planning. Chair Kai Myrberg |
| Russian MSP Roadmap as an instrument for enhancing participation of Russia in the Pan-Baltic MSP process Larisa Danilova, Andrei Lappo. Video | |
| Finland’s Maritime Spatial Plan 2030 Riku Varjopuro. Finnish Environmental Institute. Video | |
| Presentation about: Estonian MSP – practical experiences from the process Eleri Kautlenbach, Estonian Ministry of Finance. Video | |
| A geomorphic perspective on paradigms, history and coastal spatial planning in the Gulf of Finland, Kevin E. Parnell, Tarmo Soomere. Video | |
| Tools for the implementation of ecosystem-based approach in Maritime Spatial Planning in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland Tatiana Eremina, Mikhail Shilin, Oksana Vladimirova, Vera Semeoshenkova, Aleksandra Ershova. Video | |
| 13.00–14.00 | Lunch |
| Session 2: Marine litter. Chair Kevin E. Parnell | |
| 14.00–15.15 | The fate and effects of small plastic debris in the northern Baltic Sea seafloor Pinja Näkki, Aino Ahvo, Eronen-Rasimus, Eeva, Hartikainen, Samuel, Kaartokallio, Hermanni, Kankaanpää, Harri, Koistinen, Arto, Kari Lehtonen, Emil Nyman, Janina Pažusienė, Sirpa Peräniemi, Erika Sainio, Milda Stankevičiūtė, Raisa Turja, Outi Setälä, Maiju Lehtiniemi. Video |
| Beached litter and microplastics in the coastal zone of the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland Alexandra Ershova, Tatjana Eremina, Irina Makeeva, Anastassia Kuzmina, Natalya Loginova. Video | |
| Marine litter in remote islands of Estonian coastal sea Tiia Möller-Raid, Maria Põldma. Video | |
| Microplastics in urban stormwaters – designing a method to evaluate the microplastic discharges via stormwaters Julia Talvitie, Finnish Environment Institute. Video | |
| Microplastics abundance and composition in fishes and macrozoobenthic organisms of the NE Baltic Sea – list of potential target species for microlitter contamination assessment Maria Põldma, Kaire Torn, Lauri Saks. Video | |
| 15.30–15.45 | Break |
| 15.45–17.00 | Session 3: Ecosystem studies, Chair Darya Ryabchuk |
| FINMARI Research Infrastructure – an integrated platform for Baltic marine research and observation Katri Kuuppo, Maiju Lehtiniemi, Jari Haapala, Aarno Kotilainen, Ari Leskelä, Joanna Norkko, Jari Hänninen, Martin Snickars. Video | |
| Exploring the potential of autonomous technologies for achieving sustainable Gulf of Finland Victor Bolbot, Ahmad BahooTooroody, Osiris V. Banda. Video | |
| The stratification in winter and its consequences Taavi Liblik, Germo Väli, Inga Lips, Madis-Jaak Lilover, Villu Kikas, Jaan Laanemets. Video | |
| Climate impact on runoff and nutrient removal for the GoF tributaries (results of SEVIRA Project) Sergey Kondratyev, Marina Shmakova, Ekaterina Ivanova. Video | |
| 17.00–18.00 | Poster Session |
| 19.00 | Evening reception in the Embassy of Finland |
Day 2: Tuesday 30th November
| 9.00– 10.15 | Session 4: Technics and physics. Chair Heikki Pitkänen |
| The HAZLESS project: assessment of the transboundary issue of chemical pollution in the eastern Gulf of Finland Ivan Kuprijanov, Andey Sharov, Nadezhda Berezina, Kari Lehtonen. Video | |
| Seals in the Gulf of Finland – a status review and perspectives Mart Jüssi, ProMARE NGO, Mikhail Verevkin, University of St Petersburg. Video | |
| Ecosystem services in the Gulf of Finland – the approach of MAREA project Susanna Jernberg, Finnish Environment Institute. Video | |
| Linking marine natural values and underwater cultural heritage to promote sustainable blue eco-tourism in the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea) Robert Aps, Co-authors: Jonne Kotta, Mihhail Fetissov, Kristjan Herkül, Liisi Lees, Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu. Video | |
| Perspectives for Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture in the Gulf of Finland Georg Martin, Co-authors: Jonne Kotta; Jack Hall, Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu. Video | |
| 10.15–10.45 | Coffee |
| 10:45–11:45 | Session 5: Early career scientists. Chair Aleksandra Ershova |
| Microplastics in the northern Baltic Sea bottom sediments: distribution and method development Jyri Tirroniemi, Co-authors: Outi Setälä, Maiju Lehtiniemi, Finnish Environment Institute. Video | |
| Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Microplastics in the Gulf of Finland Arun Mishra, Co-authors: Natalja Buhhalko, Kati Lind, Inga Lips, Urmas Lips, Taavi Liblik, Germo Väli, Tallinn University of Technology. Video | |
| In search of relations between factors of underwater landscapes in the Eastern Gulf of Finland (the Baltic Sea) using GIS and statistics Filipp Leontev, Co-authors: Marina Orlova, Daria Ryabchuk, Alexander Sergeev, A.P. Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute. Video | |
| Methodological approaches to the establishment of regulations for the use of aquatorial zones of the maritime spatial plan in the Russian Federation Natalie Nosenko, Co-author: Anastasia Anisimovets, Scientific and Research Institute of Maritime Spatial Planning Ermak NorthWest. Video | |
| 11:45 | Closing words |
| Kai Myrberg (video) and Tarmo Soomere (video) | |
| 12.00–12.45 | Light lunch |