Off-shore and coastal marine monitoring

The aim is to collect data for the assessment of the status of the marine environment. Six seasonal cruises onboard the research vessel Salme cover the entire Estonian sea area (including EEZ). Temperature, salinity, water transparency, oxygen content are measured, and samples are collected to analyze nutrient content, biological parameters and describe acidification. Monitoring of invasive species is conducted based on eDNA methods. Autonomous measurements are conducted using flow-through systems (ferryboxes) installed onboard passenger ferries; TalTech is responsible for measurements along the Tallinn-Helsinki route. Samples are collected 12 times a year by the ferrybox system, from where nutrient and chlorophyll-a content are analyzed. Monitoring of the marine environment is carried out in cooperation with the Estonian Marine Institute at the University of Tartu.