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Reflections on the third SOS Annual Meeting – An event that brought people together for a sustainable ocean
October 27, 2026October 28, 2026

SOS organized its third annual meeting on 6–7 October in Turku. The annual meeting gathered over 100 researchers, students, collaborators and stakeholders, mainly from the Archipelago Sea region, but also from further away. During the two-day event, issues concerning marine and coastal environments were examined from many different angles – biologically, economically, socially, and culturally – and ideas for potential solutions were discussed.

Read more Reflections on the third SOS Annual Meeting – An event that brought people together for a sustainable ocean
Thinking with the Sea, 30 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2026, Forum Marinum, Turku
October 19, 2026October 21, 2026

Over two intensive days, researchers from many parts of the world gathered in Turku for the symposium “Thinking with the Sea – Interactions and New Perspectives Inspired by the Blue Humanities.” Blue humanities is an interdisciplinary field of research that examines the relationship between humans and oceans, waters, coastlines, and marine environments, both historically and in the present day. Interest in the symposium was considerable, and by the end, voices were already calling for a sequel.

Read more Thinking with the Sea, 30 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2026, Forum Marinum, Turku
Marine Science, Opera, and Island Time at Korpoström
August 4, 2026August 4, 2026

What happened when marine ecologists, opera creators, artists, and students gathered on an island to talk about the sea?

A 90-minute research information session quietly stretched into nearly four hours, and what emerged was something special: not the usual scientists presenting data and artists presenting artworks, but a genuinely shared space where everyone contributed on equal terms.

Read more Marine Science, Opera, and Island Time at Korpoström
Weather Below the Surface: How Citizen Climate Detectives Are Revealing the Hidden Climate of the Sea
May 6, 2026May 6, 2026

We talk about the weather all the time. It’s the universal icebreaker, the backdrop of our daily decisions, and something we often feel we know well. But while we carefully follow the weather in the sky, another kind of weather remains largely unseen: the weather in the sea. Thanks to a group of engaged citizen scientists, this hidden world is finally coming into focus.

Read more Weather Below the Surface: How Citizen Climate Detectives Are Revealing the Hidden Climate of the Sea
The birth of the Whale Farmer project
January 21, 2026May 6, 2026

A Whale Farmer is a term for a person who, despite their environmental concerns, is an active protector and enforcer of the marine environment. Whales are mechanical water mixers in the oceans, ensuring that water masses continue to mix. Mixing of water layers is an essential prerequisite for a functional marine ecosystem. In the Whale Farmer-project, whales are symbolic animals for alleviating the negative effects of ongoing global warming. Whale Farmer is a spin-off science and art research project from the MIMOSA project (Modeling Advanced Primary Production Scenarios in Coastal Seas) that was awarded funding through the SOS Project Booster 2024 program.

Read more The birth of the Whale Farmer project
Visitor Fees: A Watershed for Islanders
December 11, 2025January 21, 2026

Visitor Fees: A Watershed for Islanders Text & photos: Cecilia Lundberg Do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages? Some say a clear yes, others firmly no. A cautious middle group agrees only if the fees are voluntary. This issue sparked lively debate and received the most media attention when islanders from across Finland gathered a few…

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Reflections on my internship at the Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science
November 26, 2025November 26, 2025

Over the past three months, I had the chance to do my internship at the Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science (SOS) at Åbo Akademi University, alongside my master’s studies in Governance of Digitalization. For someone who spends summers on the water and cares deeply about marine ecosystems, this was a truly meaningful experience. It gave me the opportunity to learn more about the Baltic Sea, especially the unique Archipelago Sea, and to understand how sustainability, biodiversity, and human actions are all connected.

Read more Reflections on my internship at the Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science
Secondary school art-science photography workshop as a vehicle for thinking about the archipelago forests’ manifold meanings
September 5, 2025January 21, 2026

This blog post discusses the contact zone between environmental education and art and science education. Funded by the first SOS booster call, our working group organized two secondary school photography workshops about the manifold meanings of archipelago forests, with subsequent photo exhibitions in Nagu and Velkua in Finland’s southwestern archipelago.

Read more Secondary school art-science photography workshop as a vehicle for thinking about the archipelago forests’ manifold meanings
The environmental impacts of the shipping industry from cradle to grave – a joint investigation from two Bachelor’s theses
July 4, 2025October 20, 2026

In 2024, a collaboration between SOS and Meyer Turku was initiated to explore ways of mitigating the shipping industry’s impact on biodiversity. This partnership led to the production of two bachelor’s theses in Environmental and Marine Biology: William Nyholm investigated the environmental effects of the construction and operational phases of ships, while Amanda Nygren focused on the dismantling process.

Read more The environmental impacts of the shipping industry from cradle to grave – a joint investigation from two Bachelor’s theses
Assessing the genetic diversity of Baltic Sea stoneworts – setting a framework to support European restoration goals
December 19, 2024July 4, 2025

Researchers at Åbo Akademi University are characterising the genetic diversity of stonewort within the Baltic Sea in a bid to help the restoration of shallow, coastal lagoons in Finland.

Read more Assessing the genetic diversity of Baltic Sea stoneworts – setting a framework to support European restoration goals