in the latest NASA photo, the baltic sea looks like a mystical nebula with blue-green algae blooms. phytoplankton spirals and eddies stretching for tens or even hundreds of kilometers look fascinating from space, but on the shores of the baltic it is causing increasing concern. in the last 50 years, the world has seen a dramatic increase in the number of "dead zones" - places in the water where almost no form of life can thrive due to lack of oxygen. one of the largest so-called "death zones" in the world is located in the baltic sea. the formation of such places is determined by eutrophication, a process due to which the high amount of nutrients in the water leads to the rapid growth of algae, in other words, the water begins to "bloom". eutrophication can occur naturally, but it is mainly caused by nitrogen and phosphorus, the main chemical components of fertilizers used in agriculture. eventually, these algal blooms and other organisms die and sink to the bottom of the sea, where they are broken down and consumed by oxygen-rich bacteria. The more oxygen is consumed by bacteria, the less this element is lacking and it is difficult for other species to survive

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the baltic sea contains various species of seaweed, including green algae (cladophora glomerata, cladophora rupestris, ulva prolifera), brown algae (fucus vesiculosus) and red algae (furcellaria lumbricalis). lower sea salinity levels, ranging from near-freshwater in the north to more saline in the south, also affect seaweed species. seaweeds are the main habitat and food for a variety of marine organisms, which play an essential role in the marine food web and monitor biodiversity. however, mostly eutrophication in the baltic sea leads to changes in the structure and function of seaweed communities, which has a negative impact on the wider marine ecosystem. research and conservation efforts focus on understanding environmental impacts, restoring habitats, and promoting sustainable use of marine resources

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during the art residency at the klaipeda cultural communication center (KKKC), austeja researched the local seaweed resources of the baltic sea region and their potential in creating new biomaterials, experimented with various processing techniques and met with scientists from the marine research Institute of klaipeda university (KU). using the seaweed species furcellaria lumbricalis, cladophora glomerata and ulva prolifera collected during field research and washed ashore, austeja created the SeaLeather installation, which reflects the problem of eutrophication in the baltic sea. it symbolizes a carpet of seaweed that blocks sunlight and increases dead zones caused by eutrophication. unlike algae carpets in nature, this seaweed bio-leather fabric naturally decomposes in hot water, so it cannot harm the environment or other forms of life at all