The Kiel Bight as Research Area

Abstract

As research area the Kiel Bight (Fig. 2.1) was chosen, which can serve as an example of a coastal body of water carrying brackish water with very little differences between high and low tides, but still with a relatively strong exchange of water. It represents the western part of the Baltic Sea and is included in the Belt Sea area (Fig. 2.2). The Kiel Bight shows correspondingly strong irregular salinity changes, which vary approximately between 10 and 25‰. A detailed description of the hydrographic conditions is given in Chapter 3.3. There are only few small rivers flowing into the Kiel Bight area (e.g., the Schwentine river into the Kiel Fjord). Of more importance for this study is the municipal waste water outlet of Kiel at Bülk (see Fig. 2.1). At that time the waste water of about 300,000 inhabitants was only treated mechanically.