At Royal Djurgården, we are proud of the work being done at the Baltic Sea Science Center at Skansen. The Baltic Sea Science Center is a crucial place for education and knowledge dissemination about the Baltic Sea and its challenges. This spring, a competition was held to encourage high school students to create communication projects that spread knowledge about the sea and climate. The winners now have their projects exhibited at Skansen, offering inspiration and hope to all visitors. The winners also receive an inspiring trip to Stora Karlsö off the coast of Gotland.
Innovative Projects for a Sustainable Future
As part of the competition, students created projects that cover a range of innovative solutions for the Baltic Sea. Among the contributions were:
- Robot “Shark Attack”: Designed to clean lakes and waterways of algae and debris.
- Reviving Dead Sea Beds: Research on how dead sea beds in the Baltic Sea can be restored.
- The Snail Littorina saxatilis: Investigating the impact of heatwaves on the movement speed of this snail.
- Infographic on the Zebra Mussel: Showing filtering capacity at different pH levels.
- Tetraselmis suecica: Studies on how reduced salinity affects this algal species.
These contributions demonstrate the students’ creative approaches to addressing environmental challenges and their desire to contribute to a sustainable future.
Exhibition and Hope for the Future
The competition, which aims to raise awareness about the sea, showcases the engagement and creativity of high school students. For those curious about the students’ projects, they are displayed at the Baltic Sea Science Center throughout July. We highly recommend a visit. You can also follow the live hatching of guillemots on WWF.se/live.
A Trip to Stora Karlsö – Research and Inspiration
The winners were rewarded with a two-day trip to Stora Karlsö, home to the Baltic Sea’s largest colony of nesting guillemots. During the trip, students gained an in-depth understanding of how environmental changes affect seabirds and the ecosystem. Research assistant Saga Kynman and guide Alice Cowan shared their knowledge, further inspiring the students.
One of the highlights was the visit to Auk Lab, where students saw how research is conducted using both historical and modern methods. They also explored a virtual model of the artificial research shelf, providing exciting insights into the lives and breeding of guillemots.
Digital Learning Portal – “Our Warmer Sea”
Want to know more about how climate change affects the Baltic Sea? The Baltic Sea Science Center, in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, has developed the digital learning portal “Our Warmer Sea.” There, teachers can find free educational materials for high schools about the Baltic Sea and climate. Learn more on Skansen’s website.
At Royal Djurgården, we see this as part of our collective effort to promote sustainability and spread hope for the future. By highlighting and supporting young people’s initiatives for the Baltic Sea’s future, we take an important step toward preserving our environment and inspiring the next generation to take care of our planet.
By engaging young people in the challenges of the Baltic Sea and showcasing the communication project’s innovative solutions, the Baltic Sea Science Center spreads knowledge about the sea and climate (13.3).
By involving young people in the challenges of the Baltic Sea, interest in further engagement and research can be fostered (14.a).
