Marine Research Aquaria
Bridging Natural Habitats and Technical Labs
Marine aquaria systems
- Room
- Contact person
- Peter Naumann (Techniker)
- Sizes
- experimental tanks: 310 and 330 l
1200 l,1800 l, 2040 l, 2040 l - Racks
- Rack with 21 x 9 l tanks connectable with a&b
The marine research aquariums have been operating very successfully since 2009. Three aquarium rooms offer excellent opportunities for cultivating marine model organisms and conducting experimental research. The first aquarium room is equipped with a 330-liter experimental tank and a 310-liter tank, both on separate water systems, as well as a rack with 21 x 9-liter tanks. The aquariums can be supplied individually by two independent seawater systems for a variety of experiments. A second aquarium room comprises four separate water systems (1800 l, 2040 l, 1350 l, and 1220 l, each system divided into several separate tanks), including a number of smaller, mobile tanks for individual experimental setups.
The technical infrastructure of these marine research aquariums is based on a highly complex, closed-loop system that guarantees constant water quality at the highest level. At the heart of the system is a multi-stage filtration technology that combines mechanical fleece filters for particle separation with powerful protein skimmers to efficiently minimize organic pollution. Special bioreactors are used for biological treatment, in which bacterial cultures break down nitrogen compounds, while UV-C clarifiers and ozonizers control the germ load. The measurement and control technology forms the digital backbone of the facility: sensors record parameters such as salinity, redox potential, and precise pH values in real time. Computer-controlled dosing pumps and gas mixers are used to introduce carbon dioxide in a targeted manner in order to precisely adjust the carbonate hardness and acidity of the water, which is what makes it possible to simulate future ocean scenarios. State-of-the-art LED systems also replicate natural light cycles and spectra at various depths in the ocean. This combination of robust process engineering and sophisticated sensor technology creates a highly stable environment that provides a reproducible research setting even for the most sensitive marine organisms, blurring the boundaries between natural habitat and technical laboratory.
