Baltic Sea Research Villa

Opened in 2016, the exhibition in the basement of the "Baltic Sea Research Villa" presents itself as an interactive Baltic Sea excursion and research trip on an area of almost 83 m³. The exhibits are designed to be multi-medial and didactically sophisticated and as diverse as the topics they convey. A relict of a 10,000-year-old tree and a model sediment core, for example, tell of the transformation of the Baltic Sea. Living sulphur bacteria illustrate central processes at the seabed; a model of the IOW research vessel ELISABETH MANN BORGESE and an animation of the measuring station GODESS as well as rich film and image material provide insight into research practice. The various training opportunities at the IOW will also be introduced.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is the interactive multi-touch table VisAnox, developed jointly with the Rostock Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research. It visualises the variability of the anoxic areas at the bottom of the Baltic Sea and simulates the saltwater inflows from the North Sea, which are of high importance for Baltic Sea ecology. The special feature of VisAnox - besides the many playful interaction offered for the visitors - is the possibility to continuously incorporate new data collected by the IOW into the simulations and to extend the presentation by additional topic modules. The technically very complex exhibit was financed by the Baltic Sea Research Foundation.