New building of the University of Tartu Estonian Marine Institute’s Praaga field station has been completed

On 11 September, following extensive construction work, the Praaga field station was reopened. A new building and a shed were erected to replace the building destroyed in a fire in autumn 2023. The embankment along the River Emajõgi and the boat dock were also restored. Fieldwork often involves cleaning and repairing fishing nets and traps, so a terrace was built between the buildings to allow working with fishing nets outdoors.

According to Director of the Estonian Marine Institute Markus Vetemaa, the construction of the field station turned out to be quite complex and took longer than planned. “As Praaga is only accessible via the River Emajõgi, all building materials and machinery had to be transported by barge. The unusually high water level in the Emajõgi this year also made the reconstruction of the embankment and the dock more difficult,” Vetemaa explained.

The total cost of the project was €435,784 including VAT. The building was designed by Helen-Projekt OÜ and constructed by OÜ Ökomeister. Vetemaa noted that the cost was increased by the fact that the site lies on a six-metre-thick layer of peat, which cannot support construction. As a result, all structures had to be supported by long piles driven through the peat layer.

The Estonian Marine Institute’s Praaga field station is located where the River Emajõgi flows into Lake Peipus – providing access to both the lake and the river. In spring, large numbers of fish migrate from the river to the lake, making Praaga an ideal location for fish stock monitoring and specialised research. In addition, the early ice melt at the river mouth allows work to begin at a time when conditions on the lake are still unstable.

The field station building is mainly used during the warmer months. In winter, the heating is turned off and the water system is drained.