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

Dive in as a Citizen Climate Detective and Uncover the Sea’s Weather!

28.5.2026

An ongoing citizen science project funded by SOS invites new participants to help measure seawater temperatures and spot thermal microclimates and marine heatwaves. You can easily join by deploying a logger into the sea at a fixed structure (such as a pier or buoy) close to your home.

SOS at OSM26: Advancing Transdisciplinary Ocean Research

16.3.2026

The Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 (OSM26), one of largest gatherings of ocean researchers globally, was held 22–27 February in Glasgow, Scotland. The conference united thousands of participants to share cutting-edge research, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and accelerate progress toward sustainable ocean futures. SOS was proud to contribute to the program through posters, sessions, and talks highlighting our transdisciplinary work.

Join the Whale Farmer Event Week and Take Part in a Community Dance Art Performance!

12.3.2026

Whale Farmer is a week-long multi-arts event held in Turku’s Old Great Square from June 8 to 14, 2026. Whether you are a work team, a board game club, a student rowing club, or any other group, we offer you the opportunity to participate in the culmination of this event: a dance performance organized by professional artists from the Fern Orchestra collective.

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 brings together different scholarly perspectives and approaches to the interactions between humans and seas, lakes, and other water features—both historically and in the present. The symposium takes place at Forum Marinum in Turku on 30 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2026, organized by the Institute of Maritime History at ÅAU, SOS, and Comparative Literature at ÅAU. The call for abstracts is open until 15 April.

Henrikinkatu 2
20500 Turku / Åbo
FINLAND

sos@abo.fi

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