UNOL (Germany)

The University of Oldenburg (UNOL) is situated in the Northwest region of Germany and was founded in 1973. Since then it has developed into a highly dynamic research university fostering a strong interdisciplinary research approach across faculties.

Today UNOL offers a wide range of subjects in 87 programs to more than 11,000 students. Scientists of UNOL coordinate or participated in about 30 EU-funded cooperative research projects within the 6th and 7th framework program in 2009. One of UNOL's focal areas is marine and coastal research at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM, staff 150150). The ICBM investigates the significance of Shelf Sea and coastal regions as part of the system earth through an interdisciplinary research approach, bringing together the fields of geochemistry, microbial ecology, marine physics, and modelling. Study programs offered by the ICBM educate the experts of tomorrow in marine and environmental sciences.

The working group Marine Sensor Systems headed by Prof. Dr. Oliver Zielinski is part of the physics and modelling department of ICBM at UNOL and has a focus on spectral- and imaging sensor systems for operational oceanography, in the intersection of environmental research and development of new techniques. The group has research experiences in the determination of hazardous substances and long-term monitoring of key processes aquatic systems, at the ICBM and prior institutions (Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences and IMARE): DOM Sense: Development of an online fluorescence sensor for detecting and characterizing dissolved organic matter (BMWi); AquaPAK: New optical sensors for the detection of PAH in water (BMBF); AquaOptrode: Development of a Hybrid-Optrode for water quality monitoring in aquaculture and wastewater treatment (BMBF); NICO: Nitrate Continuous Observation Sensor (BMBF), CITCLOPS: Citizens' observatory for coast and ocean optical monitoring (EU-FP7).

UNOL will bring to NeXOS its expertise of several years developing, validating and optimizing optical sensors for the operational assessment of the marine environment. This includes inherent and apparent optical properties as well as imaging systems. Key parameters are dissolved and particulate water constituents such as CDOM, PAH, nutrients, harmful algae, gas bubbles and oil droplets.