The Vistula lagoon is a major Polish and European national park and conservation area. It is home to several endangered bird species and its shallow and warm waters make it a unique breeding ground on the Baltic coast.
Its geopolitical environment is equally unique as the border between Poland and the Russian enclave Kaliningrad runs through the lagoon. The Russian-controlled strait of Pillau has long been the only naval access point to the Baltic sea to transport certain Polish exports.
This story portrays the work and words of Polish scientists, naval experts, industrialists, and wildlife conservationists on the ground who measure the actual effects of the canal to the environment against the backdrop of the geopolitics between Russia and Poland at a time of rising tensions in Europe.
