Almost ready: Baltic Sea Science Center to open on 11 April

In 2015, Skansen and BalticSea2020 began cooperating on improving the opportunities for the Baltic Sea to thrive in the future. This cooperation lead to the idea of a science centre for both the public and schools, featuring interactive exhibitions, the chance to look beneath the surface of the Baltic Sea in the form of enormous aquariums, and inspiring learning spaces with a laboratory. Construction began in autumn 2016, and a final push is now under way in preparation for the grand opening.

The Baltic Sea is a unique inland sea. The mixture of freshwater and saltwater creates an environment unlike any other in the world. The freshwater from watercourses mixes with seawater from the Atlantic, and the resulting balance provides the perfect conditions for a variety of plants and creatures. The Baltic Sea is also the local environment for more than 90 million people. With time, problems relating to eutrophication, overfishing and environmental toxins have grown increasingly serious, and information, political decisions and collaboration are needed in order to reverse the trend.

The Baltic Sea Science Center at Skansen is one part of the puzzle, together with a number of long-term efforts and initiatives in many different areas. The work of the Baltic Sea Science Center is being planned in consultation with a knowledge council consisting of representatives from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Stockholm University and the BalticSea2020 Foundation.

The knowledge council guarantees that all communication will be based on scientific fact, and will be updated in line with new research. The knowledge council will continue its work after the centre opens in April 2019, taking responsibility for essential external monitoring and ensuring that relationships with the rest of the research community – and with other players, both nationally and internationally – are an integral part of the work of the centre. The aim is to create a world-class pedagogical centre, to give visitors an insight into the state of the Baltic Sea beneath the surface, and to show us all what we can do about the problems.