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Projects ICZM
iczm
wind
oil spills
mariculture
submarine cable
windplant Viewing the activities of humans offshore the German coast resembles an industrial park in the midst of the sea: Frequently cruised waterways traverse the German Bay. In between fishermen cast their nets and mussels are harvested. Below
pipelines, power and telecommunication cables are crossing the bottom of the sea. However, the North Sea is also a recreational area, which attracts several million visitors, who are in search of an intact and unique natural landscape each year.

In spite of the limited space the industrial development increases and new ways of utilisation arise. Upcoming offshore wind farms shall generate energy in the unused areas and between their piles mussels shall grow in aquaculture.

Aid for a sustainable coastal development

The rise of utilisation claims endangers not only the natural status of our coasts but also their ecological and socio-economic function. Against this background the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) works out the directive "Research for a sustainable Coastal Zone Management". Within this scope research projects for an Integrative Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) will be granted for the first five years as of 2003. A main objective of the BMBF is "to provide support for a sustainable coastal development carried by the consensus of all parties and to minimize and/or to avoid at least conflicting interests under the variform utilisation claims."

Joint research and development

IMPULSE is one of the institutions that is supported by the BMBF. According to the ICZM philosophy permanent co-operations have been formed - both, within the research projects and between science, economy and administration - which work on the solution of the issues. IMPULSE focus especially on management questions in the coastal range and their coordination by means of modern information technology, expertise and mathematic modelling methods. Therefore the principal task is the work on and with computer-aided Decision Support Systems - so called DSS.

Partner Projects

Coastal Futures (West Coast / Schleswig - Holstein) (Prof. Colijn, Dr. Kannen)
Research- and Technology Centre West Coast (FTZ)
Institute for Coastal Research - GKSS Research Centre

ICZM Oder - Research for an Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Oder estuary region (Dr. Schernewski)
Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemuende (IOW)