Looking ahead in coastal protection: State Secretary joins CoastAdapt for a scenic flight

The flight participants just before departure on the runway in Harlesiel. From left to right: Dr. Friederike Bungenstock, Prof. Throsten Balke, Prof. Nils Goseberg, Prof. Joachim Schachtner, Florian Carius, Dr. Constantin Schweiger, Dr. Ines Bruns, pilot Stephan Kaneider (FLN Frisia Luftverkehr, Inselflieger Harlesiel). Photo: Claudia Schulenberg (NIhK)

After the State Secretary of the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture (MWK), Prof. Dr. Joachim Schachtner, became aware of the joint research project CoastAdapt, he expressed interest in gaining deeper insights into the work as part of his official summer visit program dedicated to UNESCO World Heritage sites. On July 30, 2025, he took off with project representatives aboard an Inselflieger Harle aircraft for a scenic flight along the coast to explore the CoastAdapt project areas from the air. Dr. Friederike Bungenstock and Dr. Ines Bruns represented the NIhK-Team on board and, together with their colleagues Prof. Dr. Nils Goseberg and Dr. Constantin Schweiger from the Leichtweiß-Institute (TU Braunschweig) and Prof. Dr. Thorsten Balke from the Institute of Biology and Environmental Science (University Oldenburg), presented CoastAdapt. Florian Carius from the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park Authority explained various aspects of the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, which forms part of the CoastAdapt study area.

Mr. Schachtner received first-hand insights into the latest research on sustainable coastal protection. CoastAdapt focuses, among other things, on coastal dynamics prior to dike construction to identify potential nature-based solutions for today’s challenges. Thus, his journey took him not only into the air, but also back in time, as researchers shared in-depth background knowledge. He valued the aerial perspective, which revealed both the thematic breadth and spatial scale of the project.