Marine research laboratory
The Marine Research Laboratory of the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) is part of the national marine research infrastructure FINMARI. The laboratory offers analysis and research services to Syke researchers and partners. Through national and international research infrastructure projects, other entities can also apply for laboratory time for research.
Quality assurance of measurement and analysis results is an important part of our operations. Syke's Marine Research Laboratory is a FINAS-accredited laboratory. The operations meet the requirements of the standard SFS-EN ISO/IEC 17025, FINAS T003.
Monitoring the state of the Baltic Sea
Syke has a statutory obligation to monitor the state of the Baltic Sea. This obligation is based on the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Sampling, measurements, and analyses for open sea monitoring are carried out on regular monitoring cruises aboard the marine research vessel Aranda. Coastal monitoring is conducted on separate rented vessels equipped with Syke's research containers. Samples that cannot be processed in marine conditions are brought to the Marine Research Laboratory for analysis or pre-treatment for analyses conducted elsewhere. The staff of the Marine Research Laboratory also work on Aranda and in coastal monitoring for sampling and analysis tasks.
Quality-assured results are stored in open environmental information systems. These long-term observation series provide reliable information on changes in the state of the Baltic Sea and can be used to support political decision-making.
Analysis and research services
The skilled and experienced staff of the Marine Research Laboratory are the foundation of all operations. The laboratory has expertise in identifying Baltic Sea phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic animals, marine chemical analytics, automated measuring devices, their validation, and the processing and quality assurance of the data they produce.
Chemical and hydrographic analytics are usually provided as analysis services for research projects. Basic analytics include nutrient measurements, salinity measurements, pH, alkalinity, oxygen, and hydrogen sulfide measurements.
Experimental research can be conducted on various scales, from 300 microliters to 300 liters. The laboratory has various equipment, temperature-controlled rooms, and facilities for equipment maintenance for research purposes.
The mesocosm facility is equipped for larger-scale experiments. The facility has 12 300-liter experimental units suitable for water samples, whose conditions can be modified, e.g., lighting, aeration, and heating. The laboratory has also developed an automated AquaBox measurement system, which allows simultaneous measurement of multiple variables using a flow-through system. The measurement system can also be used in fieldwork.
Marine research laboratory equipment and functions
The laboratory is equipped with the most important devices related to marine research. The key devices include nutrient analyzers, salinometers, various carbon analyzers (DIC, TOC/N, POC/N), oxygen and alkalinity titrators, and optical analysis devices such as spectrophotometers, spectrofluorometers, FlowCAM, and flow cytometers. Microscopes are available for various purposes.
The laboratory also has facilities for molecular biology, an isotope laboratory for research with radioactive tracers, and laboratory facilities for monitoring and researching microplastics.
The laboratory has excellent facilities for research related to phytoplankton. Cultivation of phytoplankton for further research can be done using a photobioreactor.
Phytoplankton collection
The Marine Research Laboratory maintains the FINMARI phytoplankton strain collection, which includes over 100 different strains, mainly originating from the Baltic Sea. The collection can be utilized in research projects.
