Abstract
Our traditional single disciplinary approach to understanding the causes and consequences of degradation of the marine environment have failed. Although we have reduced nutrients to lessen the harmful effects of eutrophication, marine ecosystems are not responding as predicted. We are attempting to manage the marine environment in the face of multiple forcing factors occurring simultaneously such as changes in fisheries, climate, urbanization, and contaminants. It is no surprise that our efforts to reduce nutrients are not being rewarded with a healthier Baltic Sea. An improved understanding of the impact of these multiple stressors will not be achieved unless we engage in a multi-disciplinary effort to understand and to ultimately manage the marine environment sustainably. We have assembled a diverse group of talent to combine paleo-based approaches, ecological approaches, terrestrial biogeochemistry, and modeling to address problems from the past, the present and the future. We aim to increase our understanding of the relationships between land-use changes nutrient enrichment, eutrophication, and climate. We will contribute to development of the Baltic Sea Action Plan, and disseminate our research to management authorities. Working from this platform, we will generate knowledge that is critical to the sustainable management of the marine environment and create the multi-disciplinary expertise to help solve tomorrows emerging problems.
Sweden