Initiative for new sea centre to support marine research

Proposed merger of Institute of Marine Research with Meteorological Institute raises concern

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A group of scientists and researchers concerned about the state of the Baltic Sea are joining forces with private enterprise, hoping to set up a "sea centre", which would unite the splintered field of marine research with other players in fields that are close to it.
      An unofficial group has been set up on the matter, including Juha Nurminen, chairman of the John Nurminen Foundation, and the foundation's board member Ilkka Herlin.
      The John Nurminen Foundation has provided EUR 2.7 million to facilitate phosphorous removal at the waste water treatment plants in St. Petersburg.
      The private initiative comes in the wake of plans by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to merge the Finnish Institute of Marine Research (FIMR) with the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
     
The Finnish Institute of Marine Research is the biggest player in its field in Finland. There are fears at the institute, and in other quarters as well, that linking up with the much larger Meteorological Institute might have harmful effects on multidisciplinary marine research, and especially on monitoring and research into the state of the open sea environment.
      The merger is part of a state productivity programme aimed at cutting costs and reducing personnel.
      The ministry feels that the merger would strengthen research. The matter is in the hands of a working group which is to complete its work in March. The merger itself would take place in March 2009.
     
The prospect of a merger of the two institutes is seen by FIMR director-general Eeva-Liisa Poutanen, as a threat to marine research. "We would have hoped for a report on what needs Finland has with respect to marine research, and how strengths can be best utilised in it", she says.
      The Finnish Institute of Marine Research and the Finnish Meteorological Institute both operate under the authority of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. However, their merger is more than just an administrative decision - it requires legislative changes that must be passed by Parliament.
      The merger process is happening at a time when concern is growing about the state of the Baltic Sea. Minister of Transport Anu Vehviläinen (Centre) did not want to join the debate. Minister of the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen (Centre) said that he wants to discuss the matter with Vehviläinen before giving any comments.
     
Marine research is taking place in four ministries, at the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, the University of Helsinki, the Finnish Environment Institute, and the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute. In basic research, the main responsibility is held by the Institute of Marine Research.
      The idea of joining forces has been brought forward before. The proposed sea centre would not necessarily be limited to one headquarters. The idea is to concentrate players in the marine research field into one organisation, or organisation pool, says Harri Kuosa, Professor of Baltic Sea research at the University of Helsinki.
      In his view, the Finnish Institute of Marine Research is such an important "critical mass" in all of this that it should not be weakened.
      Researcher Vivi Vleming-Lehtinen, who has been working to get the interested parties together, says that now it would be important to decide on what kind of an institution the sea centre would be. She ponders that it could even include commercial activities on the fringes of sea routes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Cities of Helsinki and Turku taking serious action to improve state of Baltic Sea (12.9.2007)
  Warm August weather favours growth of algae both at sea and in lakes (9.8.2007)
  St. Petersburg reduces phosphorous emissions into Gulf of Finland (2.10.2007)
  Gulf of Finland has slightly higher oxygen level than last summer (14.8.2007)

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