Through a series of 12 short films, children of all ages can learn about the biological, historical, social, economic, and wartime sides of the Baltic Sea.
Many people have heard about the annual “Marriage of the Sea” (Sposalizio del Mare) ceremony in Venice, a ritual throwing of a golden ring into the Adriatic Sea performed by the doge, or spiritual leader, of Venice which symbolises the maritime dominion of Venice. But fewer people know that a similar ceremony also exists in the northern part of Europe. It is called Poland’s “Wedding to the Sea” (Zaślubiny Polski z morzem), and was held for the first time on 10 February 1920, in the Baltic harbour of Puck, when General Józef Haller threw a ring into a hole made by local fishermen in the ice. The event marked Poland’s restored access to the Baltic Sea, the country’s maritime doorway to the world outside.
Disseminating information about the Baltic Sea
This fascinating nugget of information opens the Sea in Сulture, one of a series of 12 short films produced by the Baltic Scientist project to spread knowledge about the Baltic Sea to Polish children of all ages. Baltic Scientist is a one-year project of the Gdynia Aquarium, part of the Sea Fisheries Institute/National Marine Fisheries Research Institute (MIR). It is co-financed from the “Social Responsibility of Science” programme of the Ministry of Education and Science, with support from the European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA) and the Foundation for the Development of Gdynia Aquarium (FRAG). As part of the project, 12 films are being created, in which scientists and people connected to the field of oceanography are invited to talk about issues related to the Baltic Sea, their work, their research, and the devices they use to carry them out. The film crew also visits a research vessel sailing in the waters of the Baltic Sea. Filming and broadcasting began in April 2022 and continue to March 2023.
The dozen films cover many aspects of Poland’s marine resources, including fish, sustainability, seaweed, the Baltic Coast and climate change, miсroplastiсs and biofuels. The project team sought to create captivating stories in which animals become heroes worthy of Hollywood. Thus, the pike, Esox Lucius, inhabiting the Bay of Puck becomes a movie star in children’s eyes. A magical aura seems to surround research laboratories, such as in the one devoted to the safety of food of marine origin. Scientific terms sound like ancient incantations. The idiom zdrów jak ryba (healthy as a fish) is not an empty slogan, as scientists and film stars discuss the size of the population and the balance of the ecosystem.
WWII’s impact on the Baltic Sea is also addressed
On the bottom of the Baltic Sea are reminders from the second world war. About 40,000 tonnes of weapons were discarded in the Baltic by the Allies after World War II, a decision made during the Potsdam Conference. From one of the films, students learn that the south-western parts of the Gotland Deep and the Bornholm Deep were designated as the storage places for the arsenal, chosen because they are deep basins far from shore, with little risk of weapons being washed up on the beach.
Most of the movies were filmed in Gdynia, on the Bay of Puck. From its very beginning, Gdynia was designed as a gateway to the sea and has seen dramatic expansion since the second World War. Episodes can be freely viewed on social media, on the website of the Gdynia Aquarium https://akwarium.gdynia.pl/en/category/projects/, as well as on the Polish website of Ocean Literacy https://oceanliteracy.pl/home/.