Milja Westerberg, 25, from Helsinki Finland is a first-year Master’s student at the University of Helsinki, where she studies in the Environmental Change and Global Sustainability Master’s program with an emphasis on aquatic and marine sciences. She is a highly motivated and passionate marine scientist with a deep-rooted love and connection to the underwater world. Her fascination began during childhood summers spent exploring the Baltic Sea coastline – a place that sparked her lifelong curiosity and commitment to understanding and protecting marine ecosystems. This early inspiration evolved into a focused academic and professional journey dedicated to the challenges facing the Baltic Sea.
Milja’s academic career has been driven by her passion to learn, research, and protect our oceans, pursuing her higher education in the field of aquatic sciences, focusing particularly on marine ecosystems in cold-water regions. Her own research has centered on the Baltic Sea, with both her bachelor’s and master’s theses exploring the impacts of climate-related stressors on bladderwrack, a vital habitat-forming macroalga in this ecosystem. During her studies her interest and later, love for diving blossomed, as during her first year at University in 2023, she received a scholarship to join Foundations on Scientific Diving and Occupational Scientific Diving – courses run by the Finnish Scientific Diving Academy at Tvärminne Zoological Station. This training equipped her with essential skills for conducting safe and effective underwater research. She gained further hands-on experience during a Marine Science Discovery Internship at Tvärminne Zoological Station as well as doing her divemaster and internship for the Finnish Scientific Diving Academy during the summer of 2024. Though most of her diving has taken place in the Baltic Sea, she has also explored more extreme conditions, such as participating in a polar research diving course at Kilpisjärvi Biological Station in Northern Finland.
During the scholarship year, Milja aims to expand her knowledge by engaging with diverse marine ecosystems and people around the world, gaining insight into different research methodologies and conservation strategies. She hopes to participate in collaborative projects that address differing ecological challenges. Milja is also extremely excited to build connections with amazing people and professionals during her year.
