What we do

Our mission is to provide transdisciplinary knowledge on wicked problems linked to marine biodiversity and its role in the societal transition to sustainability. Focusing on the Archipelago Sea and Åland Island area in Finland, we study how human actions interact with marine biodiversity in creating wicked problems, and what can be done to solve such challenges. We are an Åbo Akademi University Centre of Excellence funded by the Åbo Akademi University Foundation during 2024–2028.

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Why SOS?

Sustainable Ocean Science is needed as we are grappling with the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. On a global and planetary scale, we are beyond safe operating spaces for biosphere integrity – that is biodiversity and all its dimensions. On a regional level – EU recognises that 79 % of its coastal seabed is destroyed due to our ways of fishing, key groups of animals are in critical decline and 46 % or the coastal waters suffers from eutrophication. Bringing us to our own wicked problem in the Baltic Sea – here in Turku in the Archipelago Sea, we unfortunately still struggle with the last Eutrophication Hot Spot in Finland.

Upcoming events

Latest news

Call for abstracts open for the symposium Thinking with the Sea

16.1.2026

Thinking with the Sea - Interactions and New Perspectives Inspired by the Blue Humanities opens up new perspectives on human activity in and around water. This symposium brings together researchers with different scholarly perspectives and approaches to the interactions between humans and seas, lakes, and other water features—both historically and in the present. The event takes place at Forum Marinum in Turku on 30 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2026, organized by the Institute of Maritime History at Åbo Akademi University, SOS, and Comparative Literature at Åbo Akademi University. The call for abstracts is open until 15 April.

SOS funds five new projects in the 2025 Project Booster Call

15.12.2025

In an open call for projects focusing on biodiversity-related marine research, the Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science SOS awarded a total sum of 50 700 euros for five projects to be carried out during 2026. Through the targeted Project Booster funding, SOS aims to foster collaboration and to support the exploration of innovative ideas and preliminary research questions related to the Centre’s mission.

Why Does the Archipelago Sea Matter to You? New Research Seeks Your Voice

2.9.2025

A new survey invites people who visit or live near the Archipelago Sea to share their personal connections to this unique marine environment. The study is part of the Cultural Value of Coastlines project within the broader MARBEFES initiative, led by Dr. Tiina Salo and Associate Professor Anna Törnroos-Remes from Åbo Akademi University’s Environmental and Marine Biology department, exploring where and how we engage with and value our marine and coastal environments, aiming to understand not just what people do in the Archipelago Sea area, but why these places matter to them on a deeper, more personal level.

New Survey Explores How Finns Relate to Baltic Sea Species

29.8.2025

A new nationwide survey invites people living in Finland, aged 18 and up, to participate in a study focused on marine species in the Baltic Sea. The survey is part of doctoral researcher Jolanda Linsén’s PhD project, which aims to deepen our understanding of human relationships with marine organisms, an area of research that is not only rare in the Baltic Sea region, but worldwide. The survey takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete and can be accessed in Finnish, Swedish, and English. It will remain open until Baltic Sea Day 2026 or until the necessary number of responses has been reached.