The Baltic Sea is highly affected by eutrophication, but more knowledge is needed regarding how this influences many of the organisms that live there. One understudied species is the moss animal Einhornia crustulenta. In this study, steps are taken towards better understanding the ecology of E. crustulenta and how it might be influenced by eutrophication. This was done by two experiments. In the first experiment, it was tested whether E. crustulenta can feed on some phytoplankton species connected to eutrophication in the Baltic Sea (including e.g. the filamentous cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and the flagellate Prymnesium parvum). In the other experiment, it was tested whether the snail Theodoxus fluviatilis and the isopod Idothea baltica are potential predators on E. crustulenta in the Baltic Sea. The results show that E. crustulenta are able to feed on e.g. N. spumigena and P. parvum and thus might be benefitted by eutrophication. Furthermore, the results show that neither T. fluviatilis nor I. baltica seem to feed on E. crustulenta. The results from both studies imply that E. crustulenta might benefit from eutrophication in the Baltic Sea and expand without control from predators. Here, some steps have been taken towards better understanding the ecology of E. crustulenta, but further research is needed. Future studies could include more potential predators and also study earlier life stages of E. crustulenta.

Diploma thesis "Nordic countries and their support of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on their way to European structures" deals with foreign policies of Denmark, Sweden and Finland towards three Baltic countries in the 1990s. The paper is focused on Danish, Swedish and Finnish bilateral support of three Baltic countries on their way to European structures, particularly to the EU. The thesis strives to explain a rationale and motives which were behind decisions of Nordic countries to help Baltic countries in the 1990s. Although the thesis is primarily focused on a development in the 1990s, a short part is also devoted to a historical development of the relations between Nordic and Baltic countries. This historical excursion helps to identify changes of Nordic foreign policies (Baltic policies) which occurred in the 1990s. The main proposition of this thesis is a statement that though there were several motives behind decisions of Nordic states to help Baltic countries, the main factor which caused high involvement of Denmark, Sweden and Finland in the Baltic Sea area were security related factors. The thesis also offers a summary of some motives which were behind high involvement of Nordic countries in the region and provides some similarities and differences in Baltic policies of Denmark, Sweden and...

This essay examines policy discourses in the 30th Baltic Parliamentary Conference held in 2021. By examining several policy proposals from the resolution adopted by the participants, as well as related key documents and speeches from parliamentarians, the underlying assumptions and logics shaping these policys are examined. The thesis analyses whether there are gendered patterns in the policy discourses. The policy areas examined are about cooperation, identity, climate, and the environment. The material is analysed by combining the theory feminist discursive institutionalism and by using Carol Bacchi's method "What's the problem represented to be?". The conclusions are that there are many underlying problematisations that contribute to shaping policies in the 30th Baltic Sea Conference, which are supported by hidden gender coded language. The problematisations underpinning the policys are ”hiding” other ways of evaluating and shaping problems, solutions, and policy areas.

Vi har studerat cyberdomänen i perspektivet från en officer och vad denne förväntas kunna om och implementera ur cyberdomänen på sitt system. Studien är genomförd med fokus mot förståelse för utmaningen och komplexiteten som kommer av att integrera civilt dominerad verksamhet i en militär organisation. Vi har antagit en induktiv ansats med kvalitativ metod genom intervjuer och litteraturstudier. Under tiden som studien genomfördes skedde den ryska invasionen av Ukraina, vilket gav ytterligare bidrag till den empiriska delen av studien när cyberområdet hamnade än mer i fokus. Utgångspunkten för analysen har varit tidigare professionsforskning med fokus på officersprofessionen samt forskning som beskriver cyberområdet och dess komplexitet. Analysen är baserad på de kategorier som framkommit i den data som insamlats. Vid studiens slutförande framkommer behovet av att samtliga blivande, och till viss del nuvarande, officerare erhåller en förståelse för cyberdomänens möjlighet till påverkan på eget system. För att möta områdets komplexitet och kunna utbilda inom behöver styrdokument och utbildningsunderlag utvecklas parallellt. Författarna uppfattar att det militära systemet genomgår en teknikutveckling i vilken cyberdomänens framväxt gör sig mer påträngande för varje dag som går. Stora förändringar som får påverkan på stridsfältet har skett tidigare genom historien och kommer med stor sannolikhet även ske i framtiden, vilket organisationen behöver förhålla sig till. / We have studied the cyber domain in the perspective of an officer and what an officer is expected to know about and implement from the cyber domain on current technical systems. The study is conducted with a focus on understanding the challenge and complexity that comes from integrating civilian-dominated activities into a military organization. We have adopted an inductive approach with qualitative methods through interviews and literature studies. During the course of the study, the Russian invasion of Ukraine took place, which made further contributions to the empirical part of the study when the cyber field came into even more focus. The starting point for the analysis has been previous professional research with a focus on the officer profession as well as research that describes the cyber field and its complexity. The analysis is based on the categories that emerged in the data collected. Upon completion of the study, the need arises for all forthcoming, and to some extent present, officers to gain an understanding of the cyber domain's ability to influence current technical systems. In order to meet the complexity of the area and be able to handle education, regulatory documents and training documents need to be developed in parallel. The authors perceive the armed forces is undergoing a technological and organizational military reform in which the emergence of the cyber domain is becoming more intrusive with each passing day. Technological advancements have taken place earlier in history and will in all probability also take place in the future, which the organization needs to relate to.

The aim of this literature study was to investigate the effects of biofouling in the Baltic Sea. This was done to increase environmental awareness and understanding of the importance of a sustainable marine environment. A systematic search in selected databases resulted in the study being based on tio research articles. The overall results of the study show that biofouling demonstrate negative effects, but the effects are not fully understood to date and the focus is still on economic aspects. Furthermore, it was observed that the studied organizations are currently focused on greenhouse gas issues, but they have also been paying attention to biofouling problems in recent time. The literature study provides important insights into the effects of biofouling.

The nutrition bound in macroalgae, also known as seaweed, contains high amounts of all the nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and plant hormones, necessary for plants, animals and humans. Totally for free it is floating in the oceans around the world and has been harvested and used by people for thousands of years. A problem that has arisen in the wake of Industrialism during the past 200 years is that human beings spread non-desirable substancesto air, water and soil, for example heavy metals. Macroalgae accumulate the heavy metals, which may become a problem if we want to eat seaweed or use it to grow plants in.  In a growth trial using macroalgal compost made from Fucus radicans collected from the Baltic Sea, the uptake heavy metals in the edible tubers of potatoes of the cultivar ‘Cherie’ was investigated. The following heavy metals were analyzed: lead(Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and copper (Cu). There were no differences in the uptake of heavy metal between potatoes grown in macroalgal compost and soil, but the potato tubers from both cultivations contained concentrations of Cd and As higher than those normally found in Swedish potatoes. The concentrations are, however, much lower than the limits set by EFSA. The macroalgal compost and the soil used in the experiment were also analyzed for heavy metal content. The Cd concentration in the compost exceeded the limit for Swedish compost. However, the high levels of Cd in the compost were not reflected in the Cd content of the potato tubers. Soil conductivity and pH values were also investigated. The high conductivityof the macroalgal compost was probably due to insufficient rinsing of the macroalgae, and thus it was not ideal for use in crop cultivation. In spite of this, the crop yield was good. In conclusion, macroalgal compost can be recommended as a cultivation substrate for potatoes. / Den näring som finns bunden i makroalger, även kallad tång, innehåller rikliga mängder av alla näringsämnen, spårämnen, vitaminer och växthormoner som växter, djur och människor behöver. Alldeles gratis flyter den omkring i världshaven och har skördats och använts av människan under tusentals år. Problemet som uppstått i industrialismens spår de senaste 200 åren är att människan sprider icke önskvärda ämnen till luft, vatten och jord, t.ex. tungmetaller. Makroalger ackumulerar dessa, vilket kan bli ett problem om vi vill äta eller odla i tång.  Vid ett odlingsförsök med potatis i tångkompost av Fucus radicans från Östersjön undersöktes metallupptaget i de ätbara knölarna i potatis av sorten ’Cherie’. De tungmetaller som analyserades var bly (Pb), kadmium (Cd), kvicksilver (Hg), arsenik (As) och koppar (Cu). Analysrapporten visade ingen skillnad i upptag av tungmetaller mellan potatis som odlats i tångkompost eller i jord; däremot innehöll knölarna från båda odlingarna högre halter av kadmium och arsenik än normalvärdena i svensk potatis. Halterna är dock långt under EFSA:s gränsvärden. Även odlingssubstraten, dvs. tångkomposten och jorden undersöktes för tungmetallförekomst. Kadmiumhalterna i tångkomposten översteg gränsvärdet för svenska kompostjordar, men de höga kadmiumhalterna reflekterades inte i potatisknölarnas kadmiuminnehåll. Odlingssubstratens ledningstal och pH-värden undersöktes också. Tångkompostens höga ledningstal (10,8 mS/cm) berodde antagligen på otillräcklig sköljning och gjorde den inte idealisk för odling. Trots detta blev skördeutfallet gott. Således kan tångkompost rekommenderas som odlingssubstrat för potatis.

Wave heights and periods of surface waves in the Baltic Sea have been modelled for a two-year period (1999-2000) with the wave model Hypas on an 11x11-km grid scale. There is a clear seasonal variation with higher waves during winter and lower during summer. This is mainly a reflection of the wind climate in the area where the winters are windier than the summers. The largest waves are found in the Skagerrak and over the deeper, eastern areas in the Baltic Proper. In the Baltic Sea, the surface waves influence the bottom sediment by initiating resuspension down to 80 m depths. This process is dependent not only on the waves but also on the varying grain size diameters. Fine and medium sand resuspend more often than other sediment types, and these sediments cover together about 25% of the Baltic Proper area. On average sediment is here resuspended 4-5 times per month with a duration for each event of 22 hours. The highest resuspension frequencies are found on the eastern and southern side of the Baltic Proper. During resuspension sediment grains are lifted up into the water mass and matters earlier bound in the sediment can be released. This may stimulate both production and degradation of organic matter.

This thesis compares conventional agriculture and Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA) in terms of their environmental and socio-economic effects. Environmental effects include greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, but this analysis focuses on nutrient losses. Socio-economic effects include production, costs and benefits at macro, firm and household level. Comparisons were made at regional (Baltic Sea), national (Swedish) and local (community/municipality) level. At regional level, the main challenge is to make agriculture more environmentally friendly and reduce nutrient losses, while maintaining food production. At national level, the challenges are to shift the product mix towards more vegetables and less meat and to address the geographical division between animal and crop production. At local level, the challenge is to achieve sustainable environmental, economic and social rural development. At regional level, the empirical findings were scaled up to create three scenarios. In one scenario, agriculture in Poland and the Baltic States was transformed to resemble the Swedish average structure and resource use, which gave increased nitrogen and phosphorus surplus and substantially increased food production. Two other scenarios in which agriculture in the entire Baltic Sea area converted to ERA gave reductions in nitrogen surplus and eliminated the phosphorus surplus, while food production decreased or remained stable, depending on the strategy chosen. At national level, the environmental effects of different production methods, transport and different food baskets were compared. A household survey was performed to construct an alternative food basket, which was high in vegetables, low in meat and high in locally produced organic food compared with the average Swedish food profile. It was also 24% more expensive. Food basket content was found to be as important as production method in reducing environmental effects. Local production and processing was less important. At local level, an importer and wholesaler of organic fruit and vegetables and a group of environmentally concerned consumers were studied. The business was found to be resilient, i.e. well-suited to adapt to turbulence, and with a history of being innovative. / I den här avhandlingen jämförs konventionellt jordbruk med ekologiskt kretsloppsjordbruk. Jämförelsen görs med avseende på miljöeffekter och socio-ekonomisk påverkan. Av miljöeffekterna är fokus på läckage av växtnäring men utsläpp av växthusgaser samt energianvändning studeras också. Till de socio-ekonomiska effekterna räknas effekter på produktionsvolym samt kostnader och nyttor på såväl samhälls- som företags- och hushållsnivå. Jämförelsen görs på regional (Östersjöområdet), nationell (Sverige) och lokal (Järna/Södertälje kommun) nivå. På regional nivå är den stora utmaningen att omvandla jordbruksproduktionen i miljövänlig riktning och att minska närsaltsbelastningen samtidigt som produktionen hålls uppe. På nationell nivå är en utmaning att ändra produktionssammansättningen mot mer vegetabilier och mindre kött samt att minska den geografiska uppdelningen av djurhållning och spannmål. På lokal nivå är utmaningen att uppnå en hållbar landsbygdsutveckling ur miljömässigt såväl som ekonomiskt och socialt perspektiv. Resultat: på regional nivå beräknas miljöpåverkan och påverkan på livsmedelsproduktion i tre olika scenarier. Enligt ett scenario omvandlar Polen och de baltiska staterna sina jordbrukssektorer efter samma struktur och resursanvändning som ett genomsnittligt svenskt jordbruk. Det resulterar i att överskottet av kväve och fosfor i jordbruket ökar med 58% respektive 18% samtidigt som livsmedelsproduktionen ökar betydligt. Två andra scenarier där jordbruket i hela Östersjöregionen ställer om till ekologiskt kretsloppsjordbruk resulterar i reduktion av kväveöverskottet från jordbruket med 47-61% samt att fosforöverskottet elimineras. I de här scenarierna skulle livsmedelsproduktionen minska eller vara i princip oförändrad beroende på vilken strategi som väljs. På nationell nivå jämförs miljöpåverkan av olika produktionsmetoder, av transporter samt av olika matkassar. En hushållsstudie genomfördes i en grupp miljömedvetna konsumenter för att konstruera en alternativ matkasse. Matkassen innehöll en stor andel grönsaker, en liten andel kött och mycket lokalt och ekologiskt producerad mat jämfört med en genomsnittlig svensk matkasse. Den var även 24% dyrare i inköp. Det visade sig att miljöbelastningen påverkades väl så mycket av matkassens innehåll som av produktionsmetod. Lokal produktion och förädling var inte lika betydelsefullt. På lokal nivå studerades en grossist och importör av ekologiska frukter och grönsaker samt en grupp av miljöengagerade konsumenter (hushållsstudien ovan). Semistrukturerade intervjuer användes för att studera företaget, som visade sig vara resilient, det vill säga väl förberett för att klara turbulens på marknaden. Företaget karaktäriserades av ekonomisk stabilitet och en tradition av att vara innovativt. Ett exempel är Ekolådan, den första helt ekologisk hemleveransen av frukt och grönsaker i Stockholmsområdet. I den studerade regionen (Södertälje kommun) är efterfrågan på ekologiska livsmedel – från såväl hushåll och företag och andra organisationer som kommunen själv – hög jämfört med övriga Sverige. EU:s utvidgning innebär en möjlighet till förändrad förvaltning av Östersjön och jordbrukssektorn. En omställning i stor skala till ekologiskt kretsloppsjordbruk skulle leda till miljöförbättringar. En hållbar förvaltning av Östersjön, något som överenskommits inom ramen för HELCOM, kan inte uppnås samtidigt som jordbruksproduktionen maximeras i länderna runt Östersjön. Jordbruket orsakar betydande externa kostnader. Betalningsviljan för en förbättrad Östersjömiljö är stor vilket motiverar investeringar i ett miljövänligare, hållbart jordbruk. Medlemmarna i HELCOM, däribland Sveriges regering, har såväl ekonomiska som miljömässiga incitament att utnyttja möjligheten som Polens och de baltiska staternas EU-medlemskap innebär. / <p>QC 20160523</p>

För att hålla ett behagligt inomhusklimat på fartyg krävs kylning under den varma tiden på året. Denna kylning kräver energi. Detta arbete är en undersökning om huruvida denna energiåtgång kan minskas genom så kallad frikylning. ROPAX-färjan Finntrader som trafikerar linjen Malmö–Travemünde har använts som exempel. Undersökningen utfördes genom att skapa en beräkningsmodell där ett köldbärarsystem med möjlighet till frikylning kopplades in i Finntraders nuvarande HVAC-system, tillsammans med nuvarande kylmaskiner. Statistik över lufttemperatur, luftfuktighet och sjövattentemperatur för perioden 2013–2015 införskaffades. Denna statistik fördes in i beräkningsmodellen. Resultatet av beräkningarna blev att en viss mängd energi kunde sparas med frikylning, hur mycket beroende på värmeväxlarnas effektivitet. Mängden energi som kunde sparas var förhållandevis liten jämfört med kostnaden för de komponenter modellen krävde. / To maintain a comfortable climate on board ships, cooling is necessary during the warm period of the year which requires energy. This thesis is a survey about whether so-called free cooling could reduce this energy consumption. The ROPAX-ferry Finntrader trafficking the route Malmö–Travemünde has been used as an example. This survey was carried out by creating a calculation model in which a brine system with a possibility of free cooling was connected to Finntrader’s current HVAC-system, alongside the current chillers. Statistics of air temperature, air humidity and sea water temperature was acquired for the period 2013-2015 and were inserted into the calculation model. These calculations showed that a certain amount ofenergy could be saved with free cooling, how much depending on the effectiveness of the heat exchangers. The amount of energy that could be saved was quite small compared to the cost of the components required by the model.

This dissertation evaluates the role and effectiveness of law in the transboundary environmental governance of the Baltic Sea with regard to eutrophication. To this end, it reviews the applicable international agreements with their related instruments, as well as the EU legal frameworks, for the protection of the Baltic Sea environment on the basis of theories on resilience in social-ecological systems. The scientific discourse on resilience in social-ecological systems provides theories on effective governance of complex environmental problems with nonlinear causal connections. The governance features identified in resilience governance also show significant similarities with characteristic features of the concept of ecosystem approach. The resilience features can thus provide guidance to the operationalization of this concept, which lacks a distinct meaning in the legal context. Eutrophication is one of the main environmental problems in the Baltic Sea. Despite the fact that this problem has been acknowledged since the 1970s, only little progress has been visible in the attempts to limit the problem. Environmental governance in the form of cooperation and common action has, however, been established by the coastal states of the Baltic Sea to reduce the discharges to their common resource. This was originally coordinated through the Helsinki Convention and its administrative organization HELCOM in the 1970s. Since the year 2000 a new set of legal instruments and approaches have developed, emphasizing also the ecosystem approach. These instruments have a basis both in HELCOM and in EU environmental law, most significantly represented by the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. They establish a unique regulatory structure, with new approaches to regulation, which also give rise to questions regarding interpretation and effectiveness that have not previously been analyzed. It is concluded that applicable law in the Baltic Sea area reflects resilience features such as adaptability, flexibility and redundancy within the legal structure. The legal structure for the Baltic Sea is dynamic and stretches over many levels of governance. The applicable legal instruments are constructed so as to be adaptable and flexible. The legal instruments moreover include significant elements that provide for participation at different levels and in different forms, which contribute to enabling the mentioned resilience features. However, the Baltic Sea legal structure – as law in general – has different core functions than just providing for effective environmental governance. Law is based in a number of general principles connected to the rule of law and the function of law as a foundation for stability in the society and in human interactions. These principles are also important since they are directly linked to enforcement, monitoring and control. While the legal structure in the Baltic Sea may provide for effective governance and social-ecological resilience, the resilience features reflected in law do not always appear as far-reaching as suggested by resilience theories, much due to the legal principles. It is however because of these principles and the base for binding requirements they enable, that law can push for governance measures and features that might not have been accomplished otherwise. This, in the larger perspective, includes creating requirements that steer human activities away from critical thresholds. / Baltic Ecosystem Adaptive Management, BEAM