Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

Wadden Sea World Heritage Summer School 2018

During this two-week summer school, taking place from 18 - 31 August 2018, master students and (early) PhD students explore the natural dynamics of the Wadden Sea at three different locations: the German islands of Sylt and Spiekeroog, and the Dutch island of Texel. The Wadden Sea World Heritage Summer School is a joint initiative of three research institutes, namely NIOZ, AWI and ICBM, as well as the Waddenacademie.

Summer school content

The participants will be introduced to current Wadden Sea research taking place at the three institutes AWI, ICBM and NIOZ, by researching ecological processes in intertidal environments, e.g. by studying beach biogeochemistry or predator-prey interactions on tidal flats. In the evenings, there will be talks by local specialists on current and important topics with regard to the ecology, nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources of the Wadden Sea. The summer school thereby strives to acquaint the participants with the ecology, but also with trilateral conservation and management aspects of this unique ecosystem. Have a look at the more detailed description of the programme.

Learning objectives

Participants will gain a generic understanding of concepts and observational and experimental methods needed to examine key ecological processes in estuarine ecosystems. They will also acquire a basic understanding of the challenges of managing the natural values of a World Natural Heritage Site on a national and trilateral level.

Participants

Master and (early) PhD students in marine biology, marine environmental sciences, marine resource management or related disciplines, in particular from Dutch, German and Danish universities. The summer school is limited to 16 students. Proficiency in English is required.

Registration

To apply for participation in the summer school, please register before 30 June 2018. All applicants will be informed about the selection outcome in early July 2018.

ECTS

4 ECTS, based on lectures, field/lab work and short student presentations. Participants will receive a summer school certificate from the participating research institutes, namely the University of Oldenburg (ICBM), the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Students shall use this certificate for approval of the ECTS at their home university.

Accommodation and costs

Participants will be sharing rooms, either 2- or 3-person bedrooms or dormitory rooms. A contribution of €490 is charged for accommodation, food and travel between the three research institutes.

For inquiries about the scientific content of the summer school:
For all other inquiries:

Dörte Poszig, NIOZ education coordinator