OPCOM Coastal Management Sites:
Elbe estuary (German North Sea Coast)
The Elbe estuary experiences a strong dynamic and thermodynamic interaction with the German Bight. Dominant forces which govern the circulation and associated transport and mixing processes are strong tides and surface winds, for longer term changes also air/sea interactions concerning heat transfer and the influence of fresh water discharges are important. The adjacent coastal zones are very shallow wadden sea environments. Especially these ecologically important intertidal regions and adjacent coastal waters are very sensitive to the influence from the land such as river outflow and its associated water ingredients.
The area of application is the tidally influenced Elbe river including
the harbour area of Hamburg and comprises a large area of tidal flats at
its mouth to the German Bight. The river is intensively utilized for economic
purposes. The port of Hamburg (located 100 km from the sea) is the
second biggest port in Europe and the most important logistic centre for
overseas trade. It plays a key role as a transport link with central and
eastern Europe. The navigational channel has been continuously adapted
to meet the requirements of overseas shipping (especially container vessels
and bulk carriers). In addition the outer Elbe estuary is the world's most
frequented sea traffic area with routes linking the Central North Sea with
Scandinavia and the Baltic States via the Kiel Canal. Intensive industrial
utilization is present along the river (nuclear power plants, chemical
plants, refineries). The area is highly endangered by storm surges. Moreover,
the estuary is an important area for recreation and tourism and has some
value for shrimp fishery activities.
Besides this economic importance the estuary is a very sensitive and vulnerable ecosystem for seabirds and a spawning ground for fish. The outer section is part of the Wadden Sea National Parks administrated by the Länder of Schleswig-Holstein, Niedersachsen, and Hamburg.
The OPCOM activities will be concerned mainly with analysis of operational forecast data for vessel traffic information and data assimilation from operational models for fixed or moving (i.e. ship) monitoring platforms.
For further information please contact Ingeborg Nöhren: noehren@hydromod.de
Other OPCOM investigation areas: