Right on our doorstep lies a wilderness that remains largely unspoilt: the Wadden Sea, covering an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometres, is one of the world’s largest and most important tidal wetlands. A single square metre of mudflat is home to many millions of diatoms, thousands of small crustaceans, and many mussels, snails, threadworms and rotifers. Huge flocks of migratory birds use the Wadden Sea as a resting and moulting area. Numerous marine fish spend their first year of life, protected from predators, in the warm, nutrient-rich waters of the summer mudflats.

The Wadden Sea Learning Lab offers school classes from the fifth class onwards the opportunity to gain an insight into this unique ecosystem and to explore various topics through independent experimentation. The programme examines both the animals and plants of the Wadden Sea and the salt marshes, whilst also addressing environmental issues such as current macro- and micro-litter pollution and the consequences of climate change. Research at the Wadden Sea Learning Laboratory is conceptually planned and supervised by the Department of Biology Education (Prof. Dr Corinna Hößle), scientists from the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Sea (ICBM), and students training to become biology teachers.