Planktotrons – Indoor Mesocosm Facility

Name
Planktotrons - Indoor Mesocosm Facility
Legal name of organisation
Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg
Country
Germany
Continent
Europe
Organisation address

Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg
Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)
Schleusenstr. 1
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Germany

Primary contact information (PI)

Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand
Dr. Maren Striebel

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Years of Mesocosm Experiments
started in 2014
Description of Facility

indoor (outdoor) – freshwater/marin – pelagic/benthic

12 indoor mesocosms with 600 l volume (height 120 cm, diameter 80 cm) for marine or freshwater experiments and natural or artificial communities
3 temperature zones: upper half, lower half, and bottom
Build-in rotor prevents wall growth
Six ports at different levels of the water column for direct sampling
Planktotrons can be connected for metacommunity approaches
Sediment inclusion possible

Controlled Parameters

Temperature: from 5-25°C for constant temperature (higher for heat wave simulations)

Light: LED-lights simulate daylight with different intensities

Research Topics

Phytoplankton, ciliates, zooplankton, food web, biodiversity, metacommunities

Facility location(s)
53.5151,8.146219999999971
Primary interests
Specialist areas
Equipment

Temperature monitoring system, wet labs, climate chambers, chemical and biological analysis

Lodging

Dormitory with different rooms for up to 30 sleeping guests, kitchen facilities, auditorium that holds up to ca. 50 persons

Source of Information
Photos of experiments/installations

Plankrtotrons in Wilhelmshaven