Underestimated wake: Shipping traffic causes more turmoil in the Baltic Sea than expected

Commercial shipping not only affects the surface of the Baltic Sea, but also has a significant impact on the water column and seabed. A study by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research in Warnemünde (IOW) and the University of Kiel (CAU) shows for the first time that wake turbulence from large ships in heavily trafficked areas of the western Baltic Sea significantly changes water stratification and leads to marked seabed erosion. The research team has therefore documented a previously underestimated human impact on shallow marine areas. The results are published in the journal Nature Communications.