Centre for Scientific Diving (CSD)

With more than 1300 scientific dives per year, the Centre for Scientific Diving (AWI-CSD) is the central platform for all scientific diving related activities at the AWI. The CSD is also home of the AWI research group In situ Ecology. The CSD is located on Helgoland island where excellent training and research facilities are available in combination with the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland. Besides, the AWI-CSD operates permanent dependances in Bremerhaven and Sylt as well as temporary dive bases at the polar research station AWIPEV (Arctic - Spitsbergen), Dallman (Antarctic) and Neumayer III (Antarctic). With currently 12 certified "Dive Mission Leaders", the AWI CSD is one of the main scientific diving facilities in Europe and conducts professional underwater research in all oceans of the world.

The main goals of the AWI Center for Scientific Diving are:

To conduct, promote and support diver related underwater science within the framework of the AWI research topics (PACES and PUF-Programs).
To provide diver support at our polar stations AWIPEV and Dallman lab.
To sample marine organisms for our visiting guest researchers and visiting courses at BAH.
To sample marine organisms for the BAH biota shipping service and the BAH Aquarium.
To conduct the courses "geprüfter Forschungstaucher / European Scientific Diver", "Dive mission leader" and "Safety and Health in Scientific Diving".

As an official education centre for Scientific Diving in Germany (certified by the German Examination Board for Scientific Diving), all scientific dives at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute are done within the framework of the German regulations for Scientific Diving BGR/GUV-R 2112 (download English version here) released in 2011 by the Statutory Accident Insurance in close cooperation with the German Commission for Scientific Diving).