State of the Baltic Sea

Preface BalticSTERN (Systems Tools and Ecological-economic evaluation – a Research Network) is an international research network with partners in all countries around the Baltic Sea. The research focuses on costs and benefits of mitigating eutrophication and meeting environmental targets of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. Case studies regarding fisheries management , oil spills and invasive species have also been made, as have long-term scenarios regarding the development of the Baltic Sea ecosystem. The BalticSTERN Secretariat at the Stockholm Resilience Centre has the task to coordinate the network, communicate the results and to write a final report targeted at Governments, Parliaments and other decision makers. This report should also discuss the need for policy instruments and could be based also on results from other available and relevant research. The final report " The Baltic Sea – Our Common Treasure. Economics of Saving the Sea " was published in March 2013. This Background Paper State of the Baltic Sea is one of eight Background Papers, where methods and results from BalticSTERN research are described more in detail. In some of the papers the BalticSTERN case studies are discussed in a wider perspective based on other relevant research. Reading instructions: The main purpose of this Background Paper is to describe the Baltic Sea ecosystem and its state. It gives a background to the special characteristics of the Sea and describes the environmental state and the major problems threatening the ecosystem, as well as how they affect the Baltic Sea's ability to provide ecosystem goods and services.