Coastal Pollution Toolbox – knowledge and information platform on coastal pollution

A digital source of information and data for users and scientists working on the challenges of marine pollution

The toolbox supports scientists in the development of transfer-relevant approaches and methods in the field of research into the causes, effects and possibilities for curbing pollution in temperate and polar coastal areas. It supports social decision-makers in the fields of politics and administration, business and the media in deriving knowledge for the management of pollutant discharges on the coast and in the sea.

The Coastal Pollution Toolbox was developed to organize complex scientific issues and focus on essentials to meet the increased demands of pollution management in coastal and marine areas. The aim is to support various stakeholders in dealing with current and future impacts of pollution on the marine environment and thus to make the tools developed effective. The development of the toolbox, which results from the interaction of different scientific disciplines, follows the approach of a systematic assessment of coastal transition zones, which are often in the field of tension between substance-related global environmental changes and social concerns.

Simple and easy-to-use tools such as web applications or smartphone apps are developed on the basis of scientific findings and made freely available. The products in the toolbox are created in collaboration with other institutes in the Coastal and Climate research areas and/or other earth and environmental centers as well as other partners and are technically implemented by the Helmholtz Coastal Data Center (HCDC). 

Within the framework of so-called showcases, developing scientists discuss the topics “Urban Air Quality and Urban Climate” and “Offshore Wind Farming” in the context of a user-oriented and participatory modeling approach. The aim of this approach is to improve the applicability of scientific results and to involve user groups, taking their needs into account.