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Started as truly academic event in 1996 the BSCC has joined three research communities of Baltic Sea biologists, oceanographers and geologists to interact and communicate on most topical problems of their common sea. The congress has been organised biannually in a country bordering the Baltic Sea and Latvia is hosting it for the first time.
The most important subjects of today have been reflected in the themes of invited keynote speakers – climate change over the Baltic Sea Basin will be discussed by the Professor Hans von Storch from the Helmholtz Research Centre, Germany, and Dr. Volker Mohrholz from the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Germany will describe the impact of large saline water inflow from the North Sea. Detection of patterns of marine biodiversity across Europe will be the theme of the speech by the Professor Herman Hummel from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Dr. Henn Ojaveer from the University of Tartu, Estonia will report on detection of threats for biodiversity – non-indigenous species. Great attention was paid to the second largest gulf in the Baltic Sea – Gulf of Finland – in 2014 within the framework of trilateral cooperation among Estonia, Finland and Russia, and Professor Kai Myrberg from the Finnish Environment Institute will present research results of this effort.
Since 2009, the BSCC has been enriched with BONUS – Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme, and special sessions for early stage researchers have become a tradition. Experts in the field reveal know-how, hints and tips for thriving career in science. This year Hugh Kearns from the Flinders University, Australia will lead a workshop entitled Seven secrets of extremely successful researchers on the first day of the congress.
On the third day, the BSCC for the first time will convene a dedicated policy day. The policy day session, encompassed under the broad conference theme of Viable ecosystem for a sustainable society sets out to identify the research needs and bottlenecks that are in the way of the most desirable development of sustainable blue economy in the region, as well as other European regional seas. The world-renowned keynote speakers Professor Rudolf de Groot from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands will discuss region's prosperity and embedding marine goods and services to societal action and Professor Mike Elliott from the University of Hull, UK will consider best cross-border and-sector governance model.
The closing keynote speech at the 10th BSSC is by the Professor Tarmo Soomere, President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences – how close is the linkage between society, scientists and the Baltic Sea.
The congress is an official event of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of European Union and is organised in close cooperation with the Baltic Sea biologists, oceanographers and geologists research communities, Estuarie Coastal Sciences Association, BONUS and the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science.
Media representatives are invited to the policy day on 17 June. It will be possible to schedule (time and date) face-to-face interviews with the participants of the congress in coordination with the event organisers.
