Sensitivity index for conservation priority ranking in the oil spill response: A case study for the coastal and marine species and habitat types in the Baltic Sea.

Numerous anthropogenic stressors, such as habitat alteration and nutrient enrichment, affect coastal and marine ecosystems around the globe. An additional threat to these ecosystems is accidental oil pollution. The proactive planning of efficient oil spill response actions requires a firm understanding of the spatiotemporal distribution of ecological coastal values at stake, and how these values can be protected in case of an oil spill.

Modeling the role of the close-range effect and environmental variables in the occurrence and spread of Phragmites australis in four sites on the Finnish coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Archipelago Sea.

Phragmites australis, a native helophyte in coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, has significantly spread on the Finnish coast in the last decades raising ecological questions and social interest and concern due to the important role it plays in the ecosystem dynamics of shallow coastal areas. Despite its important implications on the planning and management of the area, predictive modeling of Phragmites distribution is not well studied. We examined the prevalence and progression of Phragmites in four sites along the Southern Finnish coast in multiple time frames in relation to a number of predictors.

Combining conservation value, vulnerability, and effectiveness of mitigation actions in spatial conservation decisions: an application to coastal oil spill combating.

Increasing oil transportation and severe oil accidents in the past have led to the development of various sensitivity maps in different countries all over the world. Often, however, the areas presented on the maps are far too large to be safeguarded with the available oil combating equipment and prioritization is required to decide which areas must be safeguarded. While oil booms can be applied to safeguard populations from a drifting oil slick, decision making on the spatial allocation of oil combating capacity is extremely difficult due to the lack of time, resources and knowledge.

Modeling the effectiveness of oil combating from an ecological perspective--a Bayesian network for the Gulf of Finland; the Baltic Sea.

Maritime traffic poses a major threat to marine ecosystems in the form of oil spills. The Gulf of Finland, the easternmost part of the Baltic Sea, has witnessed a rapid increase in oil transportation during the last 15 years. Should a spill occur, the negative ecological impacts may be reduced by oil combating, the effectiveness of which is, however, strongly dependent on prevailing environmental conditions and available technical resources.