The GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH (GKSS) is one of 16 national not-for-profit research
facilities belonging to the Hermann von Helmholtz Association (HGF) with a total staff of
approximately 750 employees, including about 480 scientists, engineers and technicians. About 85 %
of GKSS's annual budget is provided by the federal and states governments, while 15 % are generated
via EU and national research projects, contract research. GKSS maintains central administrative,
financial and legal departments providing for full support to its researchers in all related issues. The environmental work in the Institute for Coastal Research is focused on the transport and chemical/physical behaviour of substances in
estuaries and the coastal zone. New sensors/instruments have been developed and numerical models
were used for the development of new monitoring strategies.
