An educational video in Latvian and English has been developed within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme project No. LL-00244 “Geosites”. The video presents the Geosites research area – potential marine protected area Rietumkurzemes piekraste.
The video offers a glimpse into the underwater world of the Baltic Sea and introduces the area where research has been carried out within the project, approximately 60 kilometres from the coast, opposite Pāvilosta. Here, the water depth reaches around 20–40 metres, and the seabed reveals underwater relief forms shaped by glacial processes and later transformed by sea currents. These formations consist of moraine – a stony clay material.
The video explains how the Baltic Sea seabed was formed, highlights the ecological importance of reefs and shows why such habitats are essential for the marine ecosystem. In the Baltic Sea, reefs are formed by stones of various sizes and moraine clay, creating important habitats for invertebrates, fish, birds and algae. Special attention is also given to the blue mussel, which helps filter and clean the water and serves as an important food source for other species.
The video also provides insight into the research expedition that took place in the open Baltic Sea in the summer of 2025. By diving underwater, researchers from the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology recorded underwater video footage and took photographs, collected geological and biological samples, and documented the underwater landscape for further research and the development of a 3D model.
The collected samples were later analysed in the laboratory to determine both the geological composition of the seabed and the living organisms found in the area. This research helps to improve understanding of the Baltic Sea’s underwater relief, its formation processes and the importance of protected habitats within the wider marine ecosystem.
In autumn, a tactile information stand depicting underwater reefs is planned to be installed near Akmeņrags Lighthouse within the Geosites project. Until then, we invite everyone to watch the video in Latvian and English and learn more about the underwater values of the Rietumkurzemes piekraste, their research and their importance for the Baltic Sea ecosystem.
The video has been prepared by Kurzeme Planning Region within the project “Promoting the protection of geological structures in Latvia and Lithuania” (project acronym: “Geosites”, project No. LL-00244), co-funded by the European Union Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027.
Kurzeme Planning Region is solely responsible for the content of this video, and under no circumstances should it be regarded as reflecting the official position of the European Union.
More about the programme: www.latlit.eu.
Information prepared by:
Anna Elizabete Upsava
Phone: +371 26369876
E-mail: anna.upsava@kurzemesregions.lv
