23. Coastal Summer School 2026
Environmental monitoring -
a powerful tool for sustainable management of our seas
12.09.2026 - 22.09.2026
at Hiddensee Island
Topic of the school
With its immense biodiversity in a wide variety of marine habitats from the coast to the deep sea, its role in regulating the Earth's climate, and its resources, the marine environment forms the basis of life on Earth. At the same time, the ever-increasing pressure of anthropogenic use is causing massive ecological threats. The sustainable management of marine resources, balancing human interests and the protection of the marine environment, requires complex knowledge of the physical, chemical, and biological processes within the system. But how can natural variability, resilience, and long-term changes be distinguished from anthropogenic impact? The most powerful tool for such assessments is long-term data analyses from environmental monitoring programs.
The coastal summer school 2026 will give an interdisciplinary overview from the challenges of long-term data acquisition and analyses to their application for environmental assessments, from industrial off-shore planning to sustainable management with special focus on the Baltic Sea and North Sea. A broad variety of methods of field data collection in the different disciplines as well as methods of data analyses and data archiving will be issued. Finally, future visions of cutting-edge technologies for environmental monitoring will be highlighted. Experienced scientists involved in oceanographic, chemical, biological and geological environmental monitoring as well as representatives responsible for sustainable management of marine ecosystems will share their knowledge and teach participants by providing state-of-the-art information and hands-on training during the course at Hiddensee island.
Who can apply?
The coastal summer school addresses advanced Master of Science students, PhD students and early-phase postdocs with a background in marine sciences, marine engineering, environmental management or similar. The language of the school is English.
