Reepon: A large-Scale Reef and Pond Facility for Ecological Climate Research in Shallow Coastal Seas
Mission:
To provide Shelf Sea Science with an intermediate-scale research environment to address current and relevant rapid marine ecosystem changes.
Project at a glance:
What size infrastructure is it?
Medium sized Infrastructure
What does it involve?
The placement of experimental ponds and reefs in situ at Helgoland and Sylt
Costs: 10- 20 million depending on number of replicates.
Run time: 10-20 years
How does it support excellence in science?
- It will facilitate experimental marine ecology by providing marine scientists with the possibility to really carry out realistic experimental studies both in terms size and with relevant organism communities.
- Underwater technology (sensors, nodes, detectors etc.) can be developed and tested in such systems.
- This infrastructure will bridge the gap between small-scale laboratory studies and large-scale field evaluations (e.g. oceanography).
- This experimental system can provide German Shelf Sea and Coastal Science with an added “international infrastructural collaboration” dimension.
- Coastal and Shelf science infrastructure is significantly upgraded, i.e. it becomes more innovative and competitive.
What is the added value for Helmholtz?
- Development of new technology
- World class infrastructure
- Higher international scientific competitiveness and visibility
- Better “within” Helmholtz cooperation opportunities
- Contribution to stabilization and sustainability of Helmholtz Shelf sea and coastal science
What is the added value for the Coastal Community?
- Environmentally relevant ecological marine experiments both in terms of size and organisms (Bacteria through to Fish) allowing management recommendations.
- Connection of COSYNA ( in situ measurement) to ecological system analyses
- Provision of missing ecosystem linkage data/ structures for marine ecosystem models.
Short Statement: This project will develop an innovative and new marine infrastructure as a Worldwide “First””
