SeaToo

Summary

The Baltic Sea's underwater ecosystems are under serious threat. Decades of human pressures – from coastal development to climate change – have caused widespread habitat loss along the sea's coastlines: eelgrass meadows have retreated, bladderwrack beds have thinned, and stone reefs stripped bare centuries ago have never recovered. Each of these habitats is a cornerstone of the coastal ecosystem, providing feeding grounds, nurseries, and shelter for a wide range of species, while also binding nutrients and – in the saltier southern Baltic – storing carbon.

The Sea Too Project, implemented by the John Nurminen Foundation, restores these keystone underwater habitats along the coasts of Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. Working in close partnership with UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, regional environmental authorities, universities, and local communities, the project transplants eelgrass, rebuilds stone reefs, and pioneers restoration methods for bladderwrack and blue mussel beds. At each site, methods are tested and refined in collaboration with local experts before being scaled up, ensuring that restoration efforts are both ecologically sound and locally grounded.

Alongside the practical restoration work, the project engages coastal communities through workshops, citizen science, and collaborations with artists and researchers – building the public awareness and lasting connection to the sea that are essential for the long-term health of the Baltic.