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

Commercial shipping not only affects the Baltic Sea on the surface, but also has a significant impact on the water column and the seabed. A study by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) and Kiel University (CAU) now shows for the first time that wake turbulence from large ships in heavily trafficked areas of the western Baltic Sea significantly alters water stratification and leads to marked sea floor 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.