Every day, the marine researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) pull on their rubber boots. Their research field, the North Sea, is located directly outside their offices. The AWI is thus furthering approximately two hundred years of research carried out on the island. However, the focus of its work has shifted: The North Sea is particularly affected by climate change. It is already getting too warm for cod – this species is moving further towards Northern waters. Plastic and other contaminants are also creating problems for the organisms in the sea. The entire ecosystem is reacting to the man-made changes. The exhibition aims to shed light on these developments.

The Bluehouse Helgoland showcases the Helgoland rock base across two interconnected floors: In the basement, it presents the fascinating underwater world of this nature reserve in a large aquarium which otherwise remains hidden to visitors of the island. The upper level focuses on the tidal zone of the mudflats. As if they were standing in the tidal flats themselves, the visitors experience high and low tides in impressive panoramic projections – at times above water, at times underwater.

There is more to the project than pure observation. At the ‘Explorers’ station, visitors can get to the core of the food chain. It is no coincidence that the famous lumpheads and gannets nest on the steep cliffs: The sea provides them with ample sustenance here. But what happens if the cod disappears as a predator, plankton is not available at the right time to feed fish larvae, or lime shells grow scarce due to the acidification of the oceans? Scientists explain the interconnections.