BALTWRECK initiative will combat shipwreck pollution in the Baltic Sea

The three-year BALTWRECK initiative, launched in July, aims to mitigate pollution from shipwreck debris in the Baltic Sea. With a budget of €3.83m ($4.15m), including €3.06m from the European Regional Development Fund, the project involves 14 partners from Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden. Coordinated by the Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IMP PAN), BALTWRECK seeks to develop advanced techniques for detecting hazardous materials in the ocean. Dr. Michael Silarski's team at Jagiellonian University is also testing a non-invasive sensor that uses neutron activation to identify pollutants. Roughly 10% of the over 20,000 shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea are believed to be leaking pollutants. (Marine Insight)