September symbolically marks a new beginning, when we turn to science and knowledge, when we set new goals for ourselves. We invite you to enter autumn by taking a closer look at the environment around us, at our habits and raising ecological awareness during practical events session on the seacoast of Lithuania.
Scientists and activists, academic youth, schoolchildren, coastal communities and everyone who cares about the health of the Baltic Sea will meet in open format events presented by ESMIC, an international project, financed by Interreg V-A Latvia-Lithuania Programme 2014-2020. Four practical and inspirational meetings are organized in cooperation with public organization “Už švarią Lietuvą”.
Why is this important? The Baltic Sea is one of the most closed seas in the world, whose water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean takes place through the relatively narrow Kattegat Strait (Denmark) and lasts over 35 years. The urbanized coast of the Baltic Sea and the actively developing agriculture in the Baltic Sea basin leads to a particularly high anthropogenic load. The area of the Baltic Sea basin, which is four times larger than the sea itself, results in an excess amount of nutrients arriving together with the river water of the Baltic Sea basin. Today, the factors that led to the Baltic Sea algae blooms, which are obvious and even visible from space, pose a new threat to the health of the Baltic Sea, such as plastic pollution, including microplastics.
During practical sessions on the coast of the Baltic Sea:
• You will learn about the international "My Sea Campaign" initiative, its goals, and you will be able to contribute to its dissemination in Lithuania.
• We will talk about the problem of the accumulation of single-use plastic products and other garbage on beaches and in algae washed ashore.
• You will learn about remote research methods that make it possible to monitor Baltic Sea algae blooms and algae wracks on the coast with the help of space satellites and drones.
• You will learn about the possible microbiological threats associated with long-term accumulation of algae wracks on the shore, and you will be able to discuss possible methods of managing such processes.
• We will clean the coast. Together with scientists and members of the public, we will look for garbage that pollutes the beaches, and we will discuss how and why it appears here. And, of course, we will discuss possible solutions to this problem!
• We will tell you about the expedition around the Baltic Sea, which is planned by the public organization “Už švarią Lietuvą” in 2024.
We meet at the Baltic Sea/ Lithuania:
September 4 (Sunday) 12:00 p.m. In Klaipėda, on the 1st beach of Melnragė
September 9 (Friday) 12:00 p.m. In Karkė near the boat launching station
September 18 (Sunday) 12:00 p.m. In Palanga near the pier
September 23 (Friday) 12:00 p.m. In Šventoji near the "Three Virgins" statue
Estimated event duration: ~2 hours.
Registration of participants will be done on site.
Please bring work gloves and we will provide you with garbage bags.
Have any questions? Please contact the event coordinator Giedrius Bučas +370 618 28752 giedrius.bucas@gmail.com
See you at My Sea Campaign locations!
The events are organized within the framework of the Interreg V-A Latvia-Lithuania Programme 2014-2020 project "ESMIC" (LLI-525 Estimation, monitoring and reduction of plastic pollutants in the Latvian-Lithuanian coastal area via innovative tools and awareness).
Project co-financing by European Regional Development Fund: 382 thousands Eur.
ESMIC project partners: Klaipėda University, Klaipėda Science and Technology Park, Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Agency of Daugavpils University, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Latvia.
https://latlit.eu/esmic www.europa.eu
Partner of the of events: public organization “Už švarią Lietuvą”.
