The special attractions are the arena basin, featuring sharks, cod and flat fish, as well as the large outdoor basin in which several generations of seals born here in captivity are able to splash around. This calls for meticulous care, proper feeding and an optimal supply of seawater. Students, in particular, as well as schoolchildren and other groups of visitors, can learn much of interest about marine life in the Helgoland Aquarium - from evolution to ecology. For example, the Aquarium has a good track record as a place for making educational and documentary films on the marine environment. As many as 60,000 visitors per year are able to enter into the underwater world of the North Sea, here in the Helgoland Aquarium, without having to don diving gear and regardless of the wind and weather.
Special exhibitions relating to the marine environment round off the range of information available.
The Institute conducts research work in the Arctic, Antarctic and moderate latitudes, coordinates the German polar research effort, and provides the equipment and logistics necessary for polar expeditions. AWI also participates in and fosters international cooperation in the fields of polar and marine research. The Biological Institute on Helgoland has been an integral part of the Alfred Wegener Institute Foundation since 1998. Alongside classical polar and marine research, applied marine research is now gaining in significance. Special interest is dedicated to research into natural marine resources, coastal zone research and the marine biological study of the North Sea and the neighbouring continental shelves.