The properties of wave fields induced by high-speed ferries and recently introduced conventional ferries with increased cruise speeds are analysed for a site in Tallinn Bay, the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea, located about 3 km from the sailing line and up to 8 km from the wave production area. The analysis is based on high-resolution profiling of the water surface for about 650 wakes from fast ferries, measured during 4 weeks in June–July 2008. The new large conventional ferries with cruise speeds of 25–30 knots (~ 45–55 km/h) sail at near-critical speeds along extensive sections of eastern Tallinn Bay, and excite wakes equivalent to those of high-speed ferries. The peak periods of these wakes are between 10 and 13 s. The typical daily highest ship wave is approximately 1.2 m, measured prior to wake breaking. The largest recorded ship wave in calm conditions had a height of 1.5 m and in the presence of some wind wave background 1.7 m. The cumulative impact of ship wakes results in a gradual increase in the suspended matter concentration in near-bottom water over the course of a day. The largest and longest ship waves produce considerable wave runup at the coast and prevent several coastal sections from achieving an equilibrium state. The largest ship waves have an asymmetric shape both in terms of the water surface elevation above and below the mean level and in terms of the shape of the wave front and back. The overall intensity of anthropogenic waves has remained at the same level as it was in the year 2002, although the ships that produced the highest waves in the past are no longer in service.

An effort is made to identify the basic features of subdecadal and decadal changes in the wave climate at different locations in the eastern sector of the Baltic Proper based on the annual mean wave height. Comparison of Vilsandi and Almagrundet data from the northern Baltic Proper with visual observations from the Lithuanian coast during 1993–2005 shows that short-term variations (1–3 years) of the annual mean wave height have a similar nature at all sites but trends of decadal and subdecadal variability are very different in different parts of the Baltic Proper.

Port of Klaipėda is situated in a complex hydrological system, between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, at the Klaipėda strait in the South-Eastern part of the Baltic Sea. It has almost 300 m of jetties separating the Curonian Spit and the mainland coast, interrupting the main path of sediment transport through the South-Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Due to the Port of Klaipėda reconstruction in 2002 and the beach nourishment project, which was started in 2014, the shoreline position change tendency was observed. Shoreline position measurements of various periods can be used to derive quantitative estimates of coastal process directions and intensities. These data can be used to further our understanding of the scale and timing of shoreline changes in a geological and socio-economic context. This study analyzes long- and short-term shoreline position changes before and after the Port of Klaipėda reconstruction in 2002. Positions of historical shorelines from various sources were used, and the rates (EPR, NSM, and SCE) of shoreline changes have been assessed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). An extension of ArcGIS K-means clustering was applied for shoreline classification into different coastal dynamic stretches. Coastal development has changed in the long-term (1984–2019) perspective: the eroded coast length increased from 1.5 to 4.2 km in the last decades. Coastal accumulation processes have been restored by the Port of Klaipėda executing the coastal zone nourishment project in 2014.

We report cross-shore profile evolution at Palanga, eastern Baltic Sea, where short period waves dominate. Cross-shore profile studies began directly after a significant coastal erosion event caused by storm “Anatol”, in December of 1999, and continued for a year. Further measurements were undertaken sixteen years later. Cross-shore profile changes were described, and cross-shore transport rates were calculated. A K-means clustering technique was applied to determine sections of the profile with the same development tendencies. Profile evolution was strongly influenced by the depth of closure which is constrained by a moraine layer, and the presence of a groyne. The method used divided the profile into four clusters: the first cluster in the deepest water represents profile evolution limited by the depth of closure, and the second and third are mainly affected by processes induced by wind, wave and water level changes. The most intensive sediment volume changes were observed directly after the coastal erosion event. The largest sand accumulation was in the fourth profile cluster, which includes the upper beach and dunes. Seaward extension of the dune system caused a narrowing of the visible beach, which has led to an increased sand volume (accretion) being misinterpreted as erosion

Kelpšaitė-Rimkienė, L.; Soomere, T.; Bagdanavičiūtė, I.; Nesteckitė, L., and Žalys, M., 2018. Measurements of long waves in Port of Klaipėda, Lithuania. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 761–765. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Port of Klaipėda is in Klaipėda Strait that connects the Curonian Lagoon with the south-eastern Baltic Sea. Its quays are well sheltered from open sea waves but the port area still hosts dangerous water level oscillations that are apparently generated in the system consisting of the Curonian Lagoon and a strait that connects the lagoon with the Baltic Sea proper. The analysis of spectral composition of these oscillations is based on continuous pressure recordings with a frequency of 4 Hz in Port of Klaipėda during the stormy season December 2016–January 2017. The majority of the energy of oscillations is ...

Coastal regions of the Baltic Sea are among the most intensively used worldwide, resulting in a need for a holistic management approach. Therefore, there is a need for strategies that even out the seasonality, which would ensure a better utilization of natural resources and infrastructure and improve the social and economic conditions. To assess the effectiveness of coastal zone planning processes concerning sustainable tourism and to identify and substantiate significant physical geographical factors impacting the sustainability of South Baltic seaside resorts, several data sets from previous studies were compiled. Seeking to improve the coastal zone’s ecological sustainability, economic efficiency, and social equality, a qualitative study (content analysis of planning documents) and a quantitative survey of tourists’ needs expressed on a social media platform and in the form of a survey, as well as long-term hydrometeorological data, were used. Furthermore, a Bayesian Network framework was used to combine knowledge from these different sources. We present an approach to identifying the social, economic, and environmental factors influencing the sustainability of coastal resorts. The results of this study may be used to advise local governments on a broad spectrum of Integrated Coastal Management matters: planning the development of the beaches and addressing the seasonality of use, directing investments to improve the quality of the beaches and protect them from storm erosion, and maintaining the sand quality and beach infrastructure. The lessons learned can be applied to further coastal zone management research by utilizing stakeholders and expert opinion in quantified current beliefs.