Coastal and marginal seas are the most productive marine areas on earth and are under intense pressure from human use. Understanding how they change due to this influence and in the course of climate change is at the centre of IOW research. The main focus lies on the Baltic Sea, which is seen as a model for comparable ecosystems and offers ideal conditions for many further topics of modern marine research. All marine science disciplines – physical oceanography, marine chemistry, biological oceanography and marine geology – are represented at the IOW. About 130 IOW researchers are supported by the same number of non-scientific staff. The ELISABETH MANN BORGESE and other German research vessels are available for work at sea.
The institute’s own instrumentation department and state-of-the-art equipment ensure that data acquisition at sea and in the labs is carried out accor ding to the highest international standards. www.io-warnemuende.de
