The Gulf of Finland is regularly affected by inflows ofanoxic deep-water masses from the northern Balticproper.These dense water masses advance over largeareas with a decline of benthic life in affected areas asa result.Such events have been regularly repeated overdecades and centuries.The archipelago,however,is wellprotected,because the inflows of anoxic deep waters donot enter such shallow waters.The situation could thusbe better for benthic life in the archipelago,but in manyareas this is not true.In areas where the bottoms aresheltered from storms and currents,permanent anoxiacan persist for decades.Such areas were found in thewestern archipelago of the Gulf of Finland.Examinationof surface cores revealed that many of these basins havebeen continuously anoxic for almost 40 years.A deepercoring showed that,at least local)y,shallow water sea-floor anoxia has been a fact in the area for thousands ofyears. The Gulf of Finland is regularly affected by inflows ofanoxic deep-water masses from the northern Balticproper.These dense water masses advance over largeareas with a decline of benthic life in affected areas asa result. Events have been regularly repeated overdecades and centuries.The archipelago , however, is wellprotected, because the inflows of anoxic deep waters donot enter such such shallow waters. the situation could thus be better for benthic life in the archipelago, but in manyareas this is not true. areas where the bottoms aresheltered from storms and currents, Permanent anoxiacan persist for decades.Such areas were found in thewestern archipelago of the Gulf of Finland.Examinationof surface cores revealed that many of these basins havebeencontinuous anoxic for almost 40 years .A deepercoring showed that, at least local) y, shallow water sea -floor anoxia has been a fact in the area for thousands of years.