Research Programmes for investigations of the Baltic as a natural resource with special reference to pollution problems

This Report constitutes one part of the work carried out by tne ICES/SCOR Working Group on tne Study of Pollution of the Baltic in response to its terms of reference. It has been drawn up by a sub-group with Professor B Bolin as Coordinator, with the intention of obtaining a document which can serve as a guideline for future scientific studies of the Baltic in relation to pollution problems. The aim has been to give the general background for the conditions in the Baltic, to define and formulate research problems related to the pollution situation, and to identify the most urgently needed studies. These all have the character of process studies to be carried out over a relatively short period of time in which international cooperation is crucial in order to obtain a wide coverage of the different branches of marine science. It is suggested that a series of complementary studies are carried out during a limited period, the International Baltic Pollution Study. The aim is to obtain knowledge of processes in the Baltic, so that a better understanding of man's influence on the conditions can be achieved, a scientifically based monitoring programme can "be recommended and predictive models can be formulated and possibly verified. 

This Report gives a dynamic formulation of research needs which include the efforts of physical, chemical and biological oceanography as well as fisheries research. Tlne long-term survey programmes and the various national efforts going on in the coastal zones have not been discussed. Clearly they constitute necessary parts of a complete programme. 

The ICES/SCOR Working Group is very grateful to Professor B Bolin and his collaborators for the very great effort they have made in working out these proposals. They were endorsed by tine ICES/SCOR Working Group in May 1573 and accepted by ICES in October 15-75 and SCOR in January 1574 as guidelines for scientific studies in the Baltic, and both organisations agreed that they should be published. 

In addition to the programmes outlined here, the ICES/SCOR Working Group is concerned with a study of the input of pollutants to the Baltic from various sources and with a base-line study of the level of toxic substances in some marine organisms from the area. The results of these studies will be published in due course, probably also in the ICES Cooperative Research Reports series.