HELCOM has released a new educational adventure, inviting players to explore, and help save, one of the world’s most threatened marine ecosystems. Baltic Rescue – Match & Track was released today and is available free of charge online as a browser version and downloadable in major app stores.

This engaging match-3 puzzle game, developed in collaboration with Part of Noise Games and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, raises awareness of the environmental pressures impacting the Baltic Sea. Players embark on a virtual diving journey through six unique locations from the Kattegat to the Bothnian Bay, each highlighting a key regional challenge such as biodiversity loss, sea-based activities, hazardous substances and litter, eutrophication, non-indigenous species as well as climate change.

Guided by Baltic Sea species like the harbour porpoise, blue mussel and ringed seal, players trace symptoms of environmental decline back to the human activities causing them. By solving match puzzles, they unlock new areas, collect Baltic Health Hearts and use them to purchase real-life tools and measures that help improve the sea’s condition.

Designed for both desktop and mobile devices and suitable for ages 8 and up, Baltic Rescue – Match & Track turns players into “diving detectives” who investigate, identify root causes, and take action to restore the health of the Baltic Sea.

Baltic Rescue – Match & Track is available now on itch.io and the App Store, with a Google Play release coming soon.

Links

Baltic Rescue – Match & Track main page
Baltic Rescue game browser version
Baltic Rescue in App Store

Contact

Eeva Nyyssönen
Communication Secretary, HELCOM
eeva.nyyssonen@helcom.fi
+358 40 647 3996

HELCOM has long collected various shipping and maritime-related data within the HELCOM Maritime  Working Group, Expert Groups and projects. Now, this data is more accessible than ever with the launch of a new, user-friendly shipping data platform.    

The platform is organized into three sections for easy navigation: 

• Maps: Links to map resources in the HELCOM Map and data service and customized thematic map viewers (e.g. EMERGE map viewer showcasing different emission scenarios produced in EMERGE project)

• Dashboards: Interactive charts and figures displaying e.g. time series of amounts of illegal oil spills observed in the Baltic Sea 

• Stories: Stories and more in-depth information based on project results, showcasing various aspects of shipping in the Baltic Sea. 

The shipping data platform utilizes datasets published in HELCOM Map and data service with customized visualizations tailored for these specific datasets. Datasets are results from specific projects or resulting from the annually collected data flows under HELCOM data collection policy. All datasets can be downloaded from the HELCOM Metadata catalogue. 

Go to shipping data platform

Contact

Joni Kaitaranta

Senior Data Manager, HELCOM

joni.kaitaranta@helcom.fi

Last year, only 32 harmful spills of mineral oil were detected in the Baltic Sea, according to a new HELCOM report. This marks a significant long-term decrease, compared to the 763 pollution occurrences reported in 1989, the first year of aerial surveillance.

The decline in detected oil spills, despite increased shipping and more intensive aerial surveillance, is likely due to a higher number of flight hours and the broader use of remote sensing equipment, such as Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR). Enhanced monitoring likely deters ships from making illegal discharges. Satellite surveillance also complements aerial efforts by covering larger areas and improving overall effectiveness of flights. 

In 2023, Baltic Sea countries conducted 2,920 hours of aerial surveillance flights, the lowest number since the mid-1990s. This reduction was due to maintenance and technical issues, along with organizational changes in some countries. It is not unusual for the number of flight hours to vary each year during the regular regional aerial surveillance activities. Additionally, the flight hours reported only account for fixed-wing aircraft, excluding helicopters and drones to maintain consistency in long-term statistics. Aerial surveillance by helicopters and flights has been reported separately since 2019. 

The key findings of the HELCOM Annual report on discharges observed during aerial surveillance in the Baltic Sea, 2023 can be explored via an interactive data visualization dashboard developed by the HELCOM Secretariat using Power BI. This tool provides users with a more detailed and analytical view of the aerial surveillance datasets since 1998. 

Data on individual oil spills can also be viewed and downloaded from the HELCOM Map and data service (HELCOM MADS). 

Aerial surveillance and response to spills in the Baltic Sea 

Cooperation on aerial surveillance within the Baltic Sea area was established in the 1980s under the framework of HELCOM. The primary aim of regional aerial surveillance is to detect spills of oil and other harmful substances, thereby preventing violations of regulations on pollution from ships. These spills pose a significant threat to the marine environment of the Baltic Sea area. When possible, the source of pollution should be established, and samples of the spill should be taken from both the sea surface and the suspected offender to enable prosecution. 

To monitor these commitments and to provide an overview of the situation in the region, the HELCOM Secretariat compiles annual data on discharges observed in the Baltic Sea area during national and jointly coordinated aerial surveillance activities. The HELCOM Expert Group on Aerial Surveillance (EG Surveillance) is responsible for implementing the aerial surveillance cooperation and commitments.  

Read the report

The Baltic Sea, one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world, faces severe environmental threats, particularly due to eutrophication resulting from unsustainable agricultural practices.

In a collaborative effort to tackle this pressing issue, a free hybrid seminar and networking event will bring together governments, scientists, policymakers, the agriculture industry, and concerned citizens to explore solutions that can mitigate the environmental impact on this crucial marine ecosystem.

The event will be held on Friday, October 11, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (EEST), at Eurooppasali (Malminkatu 16, Helsinki, Finland) and online. It is open to anyone interested in learning about or contributing to the ongoing efforts to protect the Baltic Sea.

Registration is now open here (until 4 October).

This event coincides with the arrival of the Save The Baltic Sea (STBS) expedition in Helsinki, part of an environmental campaign and walking expedition that began in Lithuania.

The seminar is organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Finland, HELCOM, and Save The Baltic Sea.

The event will conclude with networking and a light lunch, allowing attendees to engage with experts and stakeholders committed to protecting the Baltic Sea.

For more information and the programme, please check the event webpage or the Facebook page.

Contact

Eeva Nyyssönen
Communications Secretary
eeva.nyyssonen@helcom.fi
+358406473996