Lips, who works at the Department of Marine Systems, told Thursday's "Terevisioon" he would like to talk about positive developments in the Baltic Sea.

"Usually, people talk more about the problems. I have been studying the sea for more than 30 years, and I think things are getting better and better. Let's be positive. This year, on Baltic Sea Day, people are being encouraged to feel more joy and enjoy it," he said.

However, the professor said the Baltic's problems are connected to humans.

"Human activity means that, so far, we cannot manage entirely without waste. When we talk about protecting the marine environment and using the sea, we protect that environment so that we can enjoy it in the future as well. And use it in the same way, catch fish, sail, go swimming. That is why we need to keep it in good condition, not simply protect it while looking at it from a distance," Lips pointed out.

Over the decades, conditions have improved due to international cooperation efforts among countries bordering the Baltic. For example, the nutrient load from agriculture has been reduced.

"A great many hazardous substances have also been banned in the meantime. In that sense, it is clear that things have improved. At the same time, however, the situation is changing. If we look at what has happened in the atmosphere or with climatic conditions, those have once again pushed the situation back in a worse direction," Lips said.

"There is less oxygen near the seabed, and when the weather is very warm, algal blooms cannot be avoided in summer. We have largely escaped them this summer, but farther south there have been very large blooms," he added.

The sea is constantly monitored as measurements between Tallinn and Helsinki and between Tallinn and Stockholm are recorded by the TalTech department in cooperation with passenger ferry company, Tallink.

"We also have several autonomous devices in the sea that continuously measure oxygen and chlorophyll. Nowadays there are many possibilities for remote sensing, although it cannot see down into the water column. Over the past 10 years, more and more devices have become available for collecting data," Lips said.

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