New Zealand and Estonian scientists meet in Pärnu to seek a balance between the sea and tourism

In July, the University of Tartu Pärnu College hosted an interdisciplinary seminar that brought together marine biology and tourism researchers from New Zealand and Estonia. While these fields may seem very different at first glance, they share a strong and increasingly important link – both directly influence the health and sustainable use of seas and coastal areas.

Researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand and the University of Tartu’s Estonian Marine Institute have been studying for years how seaweeds reflect and affect ocean water quality. These green and brown underwater “forests” are critical to the functioning of the entire marine ecosystem. At the seminar, Daniel Pritchard and Chris Hepburn shared New Zealand’s experience in restoring coastal ecosystems and economies. Georg Martin and Jack Hall introduced, using the OLAMUR project as an example, how to wisely allocate marine space between fisheries, offshore wind farms, shipping, and nature conservation. Liina Pajusalu took participants into the waters of the Gulf of Riga, speaking about the restoration of bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) communities as part of the FUCUS project.

“Where tourism services are consciously designed to support nature conservation, tourists can become true friends and allies of nature, not merely bystanders,” emphasised Junior Research Fellow Margrit Kärp.

The seminar concluded that tourism is an important part of the blue economy. The key question, however, is how to ensure that tourism does not deplete nature but instead helps preserve and restore it. Margrit Kärp explored the future prospects of coastal tourism, providing examples from both Estonia and abroad. “Where tourism services are consciously designed to support nature conservation, tourists can become true friends and allies of nature, not merely bystanders,” she stressed.