Relationship between Air Temperature Change and Southern Baltic Coastal Lagoons Ice Conditions

The relationship between air temperature (mainly winter, December-March) in Świnoujście, Gdynia, and Elbląg and ice parameters (dates of the first ice and disappearance of the last ice, the length of the ice season, number of days with ice, maximum ice height) of southern Baltic coastal lagoons (Szczecin, Puck, and Vistula) was investigated. Trends in these parameters were determined, too. The observation material comes from the archives of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management and spanned the winters from 1950/51 through to 2019/20. Relationships between the selected ice parameters for the study basins and the values of air temperature were examined using correlation and regression methods. The regression equations and trends, as well as their correlation and determination coefficients, were determined. The statistical significance of these relationships was examined using the Fisher-Snedecor test. Strong correlations between ice parameters values and air temperature were obtained, characterized by high values of both correlation coefficients and statistical significance. All trends of ice parameters indicate mitigation of ice conditions. An acceleration in both temperature and ice condition mildening occurred in the late 1980s, and especially in the last years of the study period. These trends, except the first ice date, are statistically significant, some even at α < 0.001. The length of the ice season becomes significantly shorter, the number of days with ice and the maximum thickness is smaller, and the last ice is disappearing early. An increase in the correlation and determination coefficients and a characterized trend of ice parameters values towards the East was found. It shows the increased impact of a warming climate in this direction on the southern Baltic coast. Strong correlations and trends may be of prognostic significance.

Impact of Air Pollution on Lung Function among Preadolescent Children in Two Cities in Poland

Ambient air pollution impairs lung development in children, particularly in industrialized areas. The air quality in Zabrze, a city located in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region of Poland, is among the worst in Europe. We compared lung function and the frequency of respiratory or allergic symptoms between children living in Zabrze and those living in Gdynia, a city on the Baltic coast, which has the best long-term air quality in Poland. We enrolled children aged 9–15 years from both cities who were able to perform a spirometry. The following spirometry variables were measured for all participants: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume during the first second of expiration (FEV1), FEV1/FVC index, and peak expiratory flow (PEF). The frequencies of respiratory or allergic symptoms were taken from a survey completed by the participants’ parents. In total, 258 children from Gdynia and 512 children from Zabrze were examined. The mean values of FVC, FEV1, and PEF were significantly greater among children in Gdynia than those reported in Zabrze (p ≤ 0.032), and the frequencies of seasonal rhinorrhea (p = 0.015) or coughing episodes (p = 0.022) were significantly higher in Zabrze than in Gdynia. In conclusion, lung function was significantly impaired in children living in Zabrze, an area which is associated with poor air quality. Strategies to improve air quality in the Silesia region are urgently needed.

Recent Finds of Islamic Coins from the Old Town and Zawodzie Districts in Kalisz

A settlement cluster around Kalisz first emerged in the Roman Period on a route leading from the south towards the Baltic coast. In the Early Middle Ages, a settlement centre connected with the Kalisz-Zawodzie stronghold developed at the crossroads of trade routes linking Wielkopolska with Silesia, Mazowsze, and Małopolska, with the earliest traces of early medieval occupation dating back to the 8th century. In the 10th century, oriental silver in the form of silver dirhams started to flow into the discussed region. These coins were part of deposits discovered in the sites of Kalisz-Szałe and Kalisz-Rajsków. Many years of research on artisanal settlement Kalisz-Stare Miasto produced a few fragments of Sāmānid dirhams minted between AH 279–343 (892–954). In 2018, during research at the Church of St. Adalbert located within the Kalisz-Zawodzie settlement accompanying the stronghold, a part of what was probably a larger silver deposit was found. In total, 13 dirham fragments were recovered, among which Sāmānid emissions dated to the first half of the 10th century were identified (8 pcs), as well as five pieces of undetermined dynastic attribution. As demonstrated by the stratigraphic analysis, the early medieval hoard had been discovered and dispersed at some point during the period when the church cemetery was used, between the 17th century and second half of the 18th century.

Two species of slow worm (Anguis fragilis, A. colchica) present in the Baltic region

Five European slow worms (Anguis) have mostly parapatric distributions. Two species, A. fragilis and A. colchica, are widely distributed across the western and eastern parts of the genus range. Their contact zone runs from the north-eastern Balkans, through Pannonia to northern Central Europe. In northern Poland, the contact zone has been located approximately between the North and East European Plains. Here, we present the first mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data from Finland and the coastal Baltics. We demonstrate that A. fragilis enters the East European Plains, where it is presumably distributed along the Baltic coast. Our data indicate that A. colchica is present more inland and to the north of Riga. The genetic structure suggests three independent postglacial colonization events in the Baltics (two by A. colchica). The presence of the two species, A. fragilis and A. colchica, should be considered by the conservation legislations of Lithuania, Latvia and Russia.

Analysis of the Competitiveness of the Performance of Baltic Ports in the Context of Economic Sustainability

Baltic Seaports are a part of the sustainable global transport infrastructure. The main competitors of the Baltic countries in Baltic Sea region are the ports of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The ports of all three Baltic States are important transit corridors, connecting not only East and West, but also South and North. Periodical investments, modernization, and the construction of new terminals allow the Port of Klaipeda to successfully compete with neighbouring ports and strive for leadership positions. Thus, the aim of our study is to investigate the competitive environment of the Baltic Sea region. We use systematization, grouping, summarization of the scientific literature, data collection, comparison, financial analysis, and capacity calculation. The main results show that the Port of Klaipeda, a seaport on the eastern Baltic coast, is an important hub of the East-West (IXB) transport corridor, connecting roads and sea routes in this direction. With the accession of new members, including Lithuania, to the EU in 2004, the Baltic Sea became the internal Sea of the Union. Many Baltic seaports belong to the same system and organizations (ESPO, BPO). EU ports policy provides them with equal requirements for security, transport regulation, environmental protection, anti-air pollution, and sustainable development. The results obtained enable exploration perspectives. This includes a feasibility study for port development and attracting new investment from foreign capital markets in the Baltic Sea region.