The summary report on key results of a large project on coordinated environmental monitoring in the Baltic Sea has recently been released, available both in print and online. Baltic Sea pilot project BALSAM, running from October 2013 until May 2015, has focused on improving the coordination of environmental monitoring in several areas. Many of its results have already been immersed with the long-lasting regular monitoring activities of HELCOM.
The BALSAM project, co-funded by EU, collected information on the current monitoring programmes and activities in the Baltic, which were included into the extensive HELCOM Monitoring Manual, published in October 2014. With its 18 partner institutions from eight coastal countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, the project also studied and made guidelines on how coordinated monitoring could be enhanced for seals, and non-indigenous species in the future.
The project also investigated how research vessels could be used in a more harmonized and cost-effective way, e.g. through online information exchange on such vessels and their planned cruises. Moreover, BALSAM activities were tightly linked to the work of HELCOM and its working groups, in order to ensure that the results are policy-relevant and in line with the needs identified by HELCOM countries. This has been seen as one of the strengths of the project.
The rest of the project results, including guidelines for seabird and benthic habitat monitoring in the Baltic, databases for seals and seabirds, and a work plan to improve data management and infrastructure, will be available by the end of May 2015.