Coastal and sedimentary systems are in steady transformation: tides, winds, rivers, waves and large-scale ocean currents leave their traces in sedimentary structures and form ever-changing patterns in sizes from a few centimeters to many kilometers. Among these features are ripple fields, barrier islands, mud belts and drift bodies. At the continental slopes, gravitational transport prevails creating submarine canyons and landslides. The sediments of the deep sea vary mainly according to formation, dissolution or preservation of their biogenic components. How did these sedimentary systems evolve and what is their role as living space for marine organisms? Which are the consequences of coastal protection, trawling and seafloor mining? How do fossil and modern coastal and sedimentary systems compare? The proximity to our German coasts, the marine technology and the numerous research cooperations of MARUM offer prime conditions to study sedimentary processes "in depth".
