iFOODis sensor network to follow agricultural nutrient emissions from land to the coast (Schlei, western Baltic Sea)

durch Stefan Sommer (Marine Geosysteme FB2)

Mittwoch 15.04.2026, 13:15 → 14:30 Europe/Berlin

5-1.213 - PAZIFIK / PACIFIC- Rechte Seite - Großer, unterteilbarer Konferenzraum (GEOMAR - Standort Ostufer / GEOMAR - East Shore)

Abstract
The ongoing 5-year research project iFOODis funded by the German Helmholtz Society aims to establish a monitoring network for the continuous assessment of ecosystem health on land and surface waters in relation to agricultural activities. The network is primarily focusing on the synoptic observation of the food crop state, local hydrological cycle, soil-moisture, soil-erosion, nutrient leaching, carbon, phosphorous and nitrogen flows in agricultural ecosystems and nutrient export to the coastal zone. The network comprises 11 measurement sites on a farm land adjacent to the stream Füsinger Au, which drains about 55 % of the entire Schlei Region (SW Baltic Sea region) and discharge into the Schlei. It further includes several stations along the Füsinger Au to monitor water quality, as well as a permanent station in the Schlei at the mouth of the Füsinger Au. The Schlei represents a brackish almost landlocked water body with a surface area of 52 km2 and length of ca. 43 km. Its catchment area, a hilly countryside with altitudes of max. 30 m, of about 667 km2 was formed by glacio-fluvial erosion processes. Due to the discharge of municipal waste waters as well as inputs of nutrients from agriculture the Schlei is hypertrophic and represents the most eutrophied German Baltic water body. Its ecological status has been classified as bad.
This presentation will highlight technical details of the network and present first results. The network was progressively started in autumn 2025, jointly facilitated by the German research institutions, GEOMAR (Kiel), University of Kiel, AWI (Bremerhaven) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) involving strong relationships to farmers, environmental authorities and non-governmental organizations.

Seminar link
https://geomar.webex.com/geomar/j.php?MTID=ma522f5f4b0af40855947a88dcf5482d3