From July 5th, Borkumer and guests can enjoy a very special exhibition in the Nordsee Aquarium be happy. “Avoid garbage – protect the seas” from Mellumrat eV, a nature conservation and research community, shows the threat and consequences of the increasing littering of the world's oceans.

No beach without trash. Marine litter pollution is recognized as one of the most important global environmental problems of our time, alongside other key issues. Every year, several million tons of waste end up in the sea. About 70 percent of the trash that ends up in the ocean sinks and ends up in or on the seabed. Another 15 percent washes up on the beaches, and another 15 percent remains on the water surface or is suspended matter in the water. On the beaches of the southern North Sea, for the period 2001 to 2015, there was an average of 453 pieces of waste per 100 meter section of beach.

Pia Hosemann, deputy tourism director, would like to pay more attention to the topic: “The waste problem is also an ever-present issue in Borkum. Rubbish boxes set up at the beach entrances are already very well received by Borkum residents and guests so that they can dispose of their own rubbish properly and collect rubbish that is found. The 'MS Zoe' accident in 2019 showed that it only takes one incident to cause lasting damage to the sea and beaches. A big thank you goes to all the helpers and the many volunteers for their commitment to clearing the North Sea of ​​rubbish. The location in the aquarium, with its immediate proximity to the beach, is an excellent place to convey the diversity of the Wadden Sea habitat.” The campaign was initiated by Claudia Thorenmeier, who has been responsible for the fortunes of the Wadden Sea since July 1, 2023, following Ihno Oetjen’s retirement Nordsee Aquariums directs. As chairwoman of the circle of friends, she is already very familiar with the local conditions. “We are very happy that we chose Claudia Thorenmeier for this Nordsee Aquarium were able to win. As a qualified biologist, chairwoman of the circle of friends and through her numerous nature lectures and tours, she has all the qualifications we were looking for for this position. “In addition, Maria Oetjen is returning – so we are going into the season full of confidence and are looking forward to the exhibition,” says Pia Hosemann.