Gerald Schernewski

Gerald Schernewski is a Full Professor at Klaipėda University in Lithuania and serves as the Head of the Research Unit 'Coastal Sea and Society' at the Leibniz-Institute for Baltic Sea Research in Rostock, Germany. He also holds the position of Lead Scientist at the Marine Research Institute in Lithuania. His expertise spans applied coastal and marine research, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches to environmental management.

His research interests include Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), where he develops frameworks like the Systems Approach Framework (SAF) to enhance stakeholder participation and measure management success through indicators. He investigates Ecosystem Services to assess changes in coastal systems, Eco-technologies for improving water quality (e.g., mussel cultivation), Marine Litter monitoring strategies, and Bathing Water Quality analysis targeting pollutants and pathogens.

Schernewski's recent publications (2024-2025) emphasize marine litter dynamics, ecosystem service valuations, and climate change impacts in Baltic and Mediterranean coastal systems. His work employs advanced methodologies such as remote sensing, 3D ecosystem modeling, and spatial pollution assessments. Key trends include the integration of ecological data with policy frameworks like the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and Water Framework Directive (WFD).

He leads the Research Unit 'Coastal Sea and Society,' which drives projects on marine spatial planning, pollution mitigation, and socio-ecological assessments. The unit collaborates internationally to support evidence-based coastal governance and climate adaptation strategies.