Marine Stations Helgoland Sylt enable cutting edge coastal research

The Marine Stations on the islands Helgoland and Sylt with all of their services are internationally leading hubs for cutting-edge coastal and marine research. As a modular facility, they provide the main field access to a coastal sea that is undergoing accelerated changes such as warming, sea level rise, erosion, intensified anthropogenic use as well as ecosystem change. The specialized facilities enable multidisciplinary studies targeting unique ecosystems in the southeaster North Sea. Both stations are renowned for operating two of the world’s longest and most consistent marine ecological time-series (Helgoland Roads since 1962 and Sylt Roads since 1972), offering unique insights into ecosystem dynamics and climate change impacts across temporal and spatial scales.They are equipped with guest laboratories, research vessels, mesocosms, and diving facilities which support innovative, high-impact research on biodiversity change, pollution, biogeochemistry and sediment dynamics, as well as sustainable resource management. They host around 1,500 external users annually and provide national and international access for visiting scientists. Their strategic role is reinforced through strong integration into major networks such as the German Marine Alliance, the European Marine Research Network, and JERICO-RI within the ESFRI landscape. Hence, the stations are pivotal for education and training, hosting more than 60 university field courses per year.The marine stations also excel in societal engagement through outreach initiatives such as the school laboratory OPENSEA on Helgoland, and the educational center Naturgewalten Sylt, which will be soon complemented by the outreach center BLUEHOUSE on Helgoland. Capacity development is further promoted through international projects including the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean and Meerwissen, which aim to promote operational science through knowledge transfer. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the facilities and services of the Marine Stations Helgoland and Sylt and possibilities for coastal research.