BP's vast and spreading oil disaster is killing ever more birds and other wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico - but one of the worst spills for birds was a harmless-sounding 5 tonnes of oil in the Baltic Sea in 1976.

That spill from a ship killed more than 60,000 long-tailed ducks wintering in the area after they fatally mistook the slick for an attractive patch of calm water

Fishermen, scientists and politicians have - all in good faith - done their best to wipe out the Baltic Sea cod. Fortunately, recent environmental conditions have - by chance - led to more cod in the Baltic. And the European Union proclaims it wants to save the species. But ironically, EU regulations force fishermen to discard thousands of dead cod - every day.

Amber is a fossilized resin from coniferous (pine) trees that has been collected by people living along the shores of the Baltic Sea since the Bronze Age. This region of the Baltic Sea became known as the "Amber Coast". The earliest evidence that amber was known about, mined, and worked with in the Baltic Sea area dates from between 8000 - 4000 B. C. The locals produced amber amulets in the shape of animals, deities, and hero figurines for cult purposes, and believed it was imbued magical power.

Scientists unearthed a skull of the most primitive four-legged creature in Earth's history, which should help them better understand the evolution of fish to advanced animals that walk on land. The 365 million-year-old fossil skull, shoulders and part of the pelvis of the water-dweller, Ventastega curonica, were found in Latvia, researchers report in a study published in the journal Nature.

Marine biologists have been thrilled to hear of two porpoise sightings in the Baltic Sea in recent days. The blunt-snouted mammals, relatively common off Sweden's west coast, have become almost extinct in the Baltic. The Swedish Museum of Natural History is currently carrying out studies on the health, susceptibility to pollution, and genetics of the endangered species.

A spectacular phenomenon can presently be experienced at night in a shallow sound of the Föglö archipelago in Åland: when stirred  - as for example by a moving motor boat, paddles of a kayak, moving fish, or a swimming person - the water starts to glow in a peculiar turquoise light.