Major research issues/sites:

Current research interests are related to the Elbe River and its tributaries Mulde and Saale. In the main focus are investigations of transport and fate of pollutants originated from former mining areas, urban areas as well as contaminated old sediments. Another focus is research on the control of riverine food webs and biological processes.

Short technical description:

The vessel is 14.98 m long, 4.10 m wide and has a draft of 0.46 m. The crew consists of four employees and the maximum passenger capacity is about 10 people. The ship has four sleeping places and a sanitary area. (Other technical details: displacement of 10 m³, average cruising speed of 10 km/h, GPS, autopilot, radar system)

Specific features/uniqueness:

• Possibility to receive quantitative chemical and biological samples from large river (otherwise difficult accessibility)
• Investigations at varying seasonal and hydrological conditions
• quasi timely flow sampling (Lagrangian sampling)
• sample preparation directly after sampling on board of the vessel
• cooling and freezing capacity in the board laboratory
• various sampling techniques and probes for complementary tests

Options and conditions for visiting scientists:

Applications for research projects will be reviewed within the Department River Ecology with respect to the ships annual cruise programme.

Unit Cost of use and principles of costing:

On request