Decades of human activity have turned the Baltic Sea into one of the world’s largest “dead zones,” where a “deadly trifecta” of nutrient pollution and climate change makes recovery difficult. A new report from the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) highlights that despite significant reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus runoff since the 1980s, surface water quality has not improved significantly. This lack of progress is largely due to “nutrient debt,” where legacy phosphorus is re-released from oxygen-depleted sediments, fueling a self-sustaining cycle of toxic algae blooms. Climate change further complicates the situation, as warming waters hold less oxygen and the likelihood of dead zones increases. To reverse this trend, scientists are calling for nature-based solutions, such as restoring seagrass beds and mussel reefs, alongside more long-term observation and modern measuring sysytems.
Date: February 23, 2026. Source: euronews.com