Research facility Marine Science Center
The Marince Science Center is located within the Marina Hohe Düne. Inside the marina and directly at the eastern breakwater of the river Warnow the institute is accommodated in the white-blue ship called "Lichtenberg" which is more than 50 m long. The ship's interior offers everything that is needed for a research institute starting with computer workplaces, a library, a workshop, a seminar room, cabins for scienitific guests up to a comfortable kitchen.
Furthermore the ship houses everything that is needed to run experiments with the seals such as a fish kitchen and a deep freezer to store fish. The seals themselves are kept within a large enclosure which is bordered under water by a net on all sides. The institute ship is situated inside this seawater enclosure measuring 100 x 30 m. The depth fluctuates according to weather conditions somewhere around 5 m.
The facility is equipped with a watergate at the most southern point of the enclosure that allows to securely gate boats in and out of the enclosure. In the future it is planned to perform offshore experiments with our animals which will then be transported by boat. A chamber can be found on each of two platforms. One chamber is equipped for running visual and acoustical experiments; the other chamber served to house the penguins during the cold winter months.
Besides the different partitions found within the main enclosure in which experiments can be conducted the seals are also working in a pool on the quaterdeck of the institute ship. The facility offers manifold possibilities for the animals to haul out such as various platforms as well as the pontoons bordering the enclosure.
Since 2012 a 3000 liter seawater aquarium is situated in the bow of the insitute ship where initially four octopods were kept to unravel their sensory and cognitive abilities. After the aquarium had been unoccupied for several years, we received new animals in December 2023 to resume our research into these facinating animals.
The whole facility can be overseen from the visitors' platforms. Visitors are welcome to observe the scientific work and the animal training from 10 am to 3 or 4 pm respectively from April 1st through November 30th (Science live).