Björn Carlsons Östersjöpris aims to create commitment to the Baltic Sea and contribute to its positive development for a healthier sea. With an annual prize sum of SEK 3 million, it is the most important prize awarded for valuable contributions to the Baltic Sea environment.
The Baltic Sea is a crucial resource for the nine neighboring countries and their millions of people, as well as being home to diverse plant and animal life. However, the sea has been vulnerable to environmental toxins, eutrophication, and overfishing, which negatively affect the entire ecosystem. Among other things, this leads to heavy algal blooms, reduced plant and animal life, and a weakened fish population.
Björn Carlsons Östersjöstiftelse (BalticSea2020) was founded in 2005 to contribute to an improved Baltic Sea environment. Over 15 years, the foundation has allocated SEK 650 million to research and projects that contribute to a healthier ocean. Since 2021, the foundation has changed direction and established an annual award: Björn Carlsons Östersjöpris, which promotes initiatives that improve the Baltic Sea’s situation.
This year’s prize winner will be the second recipient of Björn Carlsons Östersjöpris. The prize was awarded for the first time in 2022 by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria to Professor Maren Voss at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research in Warnemünde, Germany for her pioneering research on the importance of marine nitrogen in the sea, especially the Baltic Sea.
The nomination period for 2023 is open from 15 February to 15 May. Organizations, institutions, and individuals can send in nominations on the foundation’s website. The
prominent nomination committee, consisting of members from various countries around the Baltic Sea, have broad knowledge of the sea and are well-established in the research field. The committee chooses three candidates who are presented to the foundation’s board. The board appoints the award winner who receives SEK 3 million and is invited to the award ceremony later this fall.
This is the nomination committee of the Björn Carlsons Östersjöpris:
Professor Christina Rudén (Chairman), Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm university, Sweden
Professor Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Director of Freshwater Centre, Finland
Professor Inna Sokolava, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Germany
Professor Jan Marcin Weslawski, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Marie Berglund, member the Björn Carlsons Östersjöstiftelse (BalticSea2020), Sweden
About the Björn Carlsons Östersjöstiftelse and the Björn Carlsons Östersjöpris
Björn Carlson’s Baltic Sea Prize was established in 2021 by Björn Carlson’s Baltic Sea Foundation (BalticSea2020) – an annual prize awarded to a researcher or other person who has made valuable contributions to the Baltic Sea’s environment. With a prize sum of SEK 3 million, the foundation’s hope is that the award will create commitment to the Baltic Sea and inspire further work for a healthier sea. From 2005 to 2020, the foundation allocated grants totalling 650 million for research and applied projects for the Baltic Sea.
