A pristine wilderness still exists almost on our doorstep: the approximately 10,000 square kilometre Wadden Sea, one of the world's largest and most important tidal wetland biotopes. Many millions of diatoms, thousands of small crustaceans, many mussels, snails, threadworms and whirlworms live in just one square metre of mudflats. 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 Laboratory offers school classes from year 5 onwards the opportunity to gain an insight into this unique ecosystem and to explore various topics through independent experimentation. The animals and plants of the Wadden Sea and the salt marsh are investigated and environmental problems are addressed, e.g. current macro and micro waste pollution and the consequences of climate change. Research in the Wadden Sea Learning Lab is planned and supervised by the Biology Didactics department (Prof. Dr Corinna Hößle) and scientists from the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) as well as biology teacher training students.