Research and collaboration

The Archipelago Research Institute (ARI) has carried out environmental and marine monitoring on Seili Island since 1966. These long-term programmes, developed in collaboration with regional and national partners, have produced extensive datasets spanning more than 50 years.

The Seili time series include observations of seawater conditions, plankton communities and other environmental variables in the northern Baltic Sea. These datasets provide an important basis for research on environmental variability and climate-related change in coastal ecosystems.

Researchers and students are welcome to use Seili monitoring data in their work. For further information on datasets, access or collaboration, please contact the station.

>>Explore metadata of monitoring programs
>>Access online water-quality data (ODAS)

Research projects of the Archipelago Research Institute

The majority of the current research projects at the research station are related to understanding the effects of climate change and other human stressors in the Baltic Sea environment.

Below are a few examples of research projects, conducted at the Archipelago Research Institute. More research projects are listed in the Institute’s collected publications and collected reprints.

Baltic herring research

The primary focus of the Baltic Herring Research Project revolves around understanding the reproductive biology of Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) and the myriad processes and factors that influence small pelagic fish in the Baltic Sea. The research started at the University of Turku in the beginning of the 1980s. Since then, the research has continued in the form of several scientific and monitoring sub-projects, which have been carried out in the northern Baltic Archipelago Sea area and especially in the vicinity of the city of Turku (Finland) where we find some of the most critical reproductive areas for herring.

Read more about the projects on the Herring Project’s webpage.

Habitat Selection and the Prevalence of Tick-Borne Diseases (Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Encephalitis) in Ixodes Ticks of the Archipelago Sea

The research project aims to investigate the occurrence and frequency of the most common tick species, Ixodes ricinus, in Finland. The aim of the project has been to identify the preferred habitats of ticks and the associated environmental conditions during the summer season. Furthermore, the project conducts PCR analyses to examine the developmental stages of ticks, enabling more accurate identification (barcoding) of tick species. Additionally, this analysis will help identify potential carriers of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi s.l.) and tick-borne encephalitis.

This study is a collaborative effort involving the Section of Ecology (Department of Biology), Zoological Museum (Department of Biodiversity), and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Turku.

For more information about the project, please visit the ‘Ticks in Southwest Finland’ website.

The future of the Baltic Sea and us: the effects of climate change to the Baltic Sea pelagic ecosystem

The purpose of the project is to provide information on ecological  and biochemical changes that can be expected in the Baltic Sea pelagic ecosystem if the current sea stagnation continues and/or climate change is progressing to increased precipitation in the Baltic watershed area.

The study is conducted in cooperation with Food Chemistry and Food Development, University of Turku.

Prevalence and ecological impact of zoosporic parasites on harmful cyanobacterial blooms in the northern Baltic Sea

The collaborative study aims to elucidate the impact of zoosporic parasites on harmful cyanobacteria bloom dynamics in the Baltic Sea. The research focuses on characterizing the species capable of infecting cyanobacteria and quantifying the prevalence of these infections on key cyanobacteria species to assess the biomass infected by zoosporic parasites. Additionally, it explores how parasite infections may increase the sedimentation rate of cyanobacteria, affecting the dynamics of harmful blooms. The study also examines the spatio-temporal distribution of zoosporic parasite resting spores to enhance our understanding of their persistence in the Baltic Sea ecosystem.

The project is related to a master thesis project at the University of Turku (Department of Biology),  supervised by Academy Research Fellow Silke van Den Wyngaert and senior researcher Katja Mäkinen.

Contact person: Silke Van den Wyngaert

More information: https://uglylab.science/

Nanoplastic research

The Archipelago Research Institute launched its nanoplastics research in November 2021. Nanoplastics, which are even smaller than microplastics, are believed to have spread extensively throughout our environment. The institute studies the distribution of nanoplastics in the Archipelago Sea and participates in international collaborative projects, including those focusing on the Arctic Ocean. Learn more about the nanoplastics research on the project’s dedicated webpage: https://sites.utu.fi/nanoplastic/en/

Contact: Arto Hiltunen, Jari Hänninen

Lists of publications conducted or contributed by the Institute over the years:

Statistics of provided or contributed publications at Seili in 1950-2029

2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020,

2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012,

2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006,

2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000,

1999-1995, 1994-1990,

1989-1980

1979-1970

1969-1960

1959-1950

All publications are listed also in the Institute’s collected publications and collected reprints.

Selected examples of publications with the SEILI Archipelago Research Institute Publications series:

Rajasilta, M. & Vuorinen, I. 2008. Identification manual for northern Baltic Sea zooplankton species (In Finnish). SEILI Archipelago Research Institute Publications 5. 66 s. ISBN 978-951-29-3829-2. Pdf.

Hänninen J., Toivonen R., Vahteri P., Vuorinen I., Helminen H. 2007. Environmental factors shaping the littoral biodiversity in the Finnish archipelago, northern Baltic, and the value of low Biodiversity.  SEILI Archipelago Research Institute Publications 4. Pdf.

Rajasilta, M., Eklund, J., Laine, P., Jönsson, N., Lorenz, T.2006. Intensive monitoring of spawning populations of the Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras L.). Final report of the study project ref. No 96-068, 1997-1999. SEILI Archipelago Research Institute Publications 3. ISBN 951-29-3047-1. Report (pdf).

Theses provided or contributed by the Institute:

Statistics of Seili theses and publications since the 1950s

PhD –theses provided or contributed by Institute