Warsaw - Professor Krzysztof Skora of the University of Gdansk won the Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award for his efforts to protect Baltic waters, the daily Wyborcza reported on Wednesday.

Skora, director of the university's Hel Marine Station, is the first Pole to receive the award and the first individual to win it. Traditionally the award is given to institutions.

He won the award for showing the impact of new invasive species on Polish coastal waters and his efforts to "increase capacity and spread awareness on protecting the Baltic Sea," said a statement from the Stockholm International Water Institute.

Skora will pick up the prize - worth some 23,000 dollars - on August 22 in Stockholm during World Water Week.

The Hel Marine Station is a popular tourist destination that hosts study visits, courses and seminars, in addition to its research on marine life and rare Baltic species.

The Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award was established in 1999 to recognize efforts in improving the sea's water quality. It ispresented every year by Sweden's Ministry for Foreign Affairs. (dpa)