For Booking, please contact:
Experimental facilities, temperature-controlled rooms, particle size analyser, freeze dryer or microscopes, please contact research coordinator.
Laboratories and laboratory equipment, please contact the laboratory chief.
Field equipment, and diving gear please contact the research technicians.
R/V AUGUSTA: R/V Augusta is a 18.5 m long catamaran, built in 2019 by Kewatec AluBoat (Kokkola, Finland) with a cruising speed of 18 knots. The vessel has a wet laboratory with fume hood cabinet, a climate chamber for sample incubation and a fridge and freezer for sample storage. The vessel has a dry lab with a large screen for presentations and own Wi-Fi net and monitor systems for basic environmental data. The vessel carries standard sampling equipment such as water samplers, plankton nets, sediment corers and grabs, dredges and trawls, and handheld probes (CTD, oxygen). It has capability for small-scale moorings and deployments up to 1000 kg: Fassi-type crane on aft deck with capacity of 1000 kg with 60m wire and 500 kg with 200m wire. Fassi-type crane on fore deck with capacity of 300 kg and 150 m wire. Capstan and rope lock for buoy anchor handling and a smaller boom for handheld samplers. On the deck it is possible to install custom made sieving table for handling samples during the cruise. The crew consists of a captain and a chief engineer.
J.A. PALMÈN (Kulkuri 34): J.A. Palmén (JAP) is a 10.3 m long vessel with large open deck area for working, warm cabin and a toilet onboard. The large deck makes sampling from the boat easy and convenient. JAP can carry up to 12 passengers and it has a march speed of 17.5 knots.
R/V SAGA: R/V Saga is an air-cushion vehicle (hover craft) for transports on ice and water. Big doors and walk-around deck make Saga suitable for sampling also in open-water conditions. Saga is equipped with a warn-winch in the bow and also an arm for water sampling as well as a ladder for divers. Saga can take up to 7 passengers or 700 kg payload in area 3. Saga’s speed and range are very dependent on wind and ice conditions; this needs to be discussed when planning a trip.
GRANGON (Faster 750 cat): Grangon is a 8,2 m long Faster -type vessel with two 150 hp Yamaha engines. Large open deck area, flat bottom and a small crane makes Grangon ideal for working. The boat has hatch in the front of the boat that can be opened to sea level to allow easy access in and out from the water. Grangon is especially suitable for divers. Grangon can carry up to 8 persons or 1370 kg.
ESOX (Polarcirkel 685 DIVING): Esox is a 6,85 m long Rigid buoyancy boat (RBB) especially designed for polar conditions and diving. The boat has two Yamaha 115 hp engines and it can carry up to 10 persons or max load of 1250 kg. RBB boat hulls are self-bailing and have rigid pontoons filled with polystyrene that makes it virtually unsinkable.
9 - PALJU (Pioner Multi 5.3): Palju can carry up to 7 passengers in the area 1 and 5 passengers in the area 2. Palju is especially good for diving. It has a flat bottom and large open area for working. In the front of the boat is a hatch that can be lowered down on the sea level for easy access into the water and back.
8 - LOTA (Terhi 600): Lota has an inboard diesel motor and even if it is a slightly slower boat, it has a proper ladder for divers and it can carry up to 10 passengers (or 6 divers). It is especially suitable for larger groups when working on the islands nearby the station and for courses.
7 - SAAVI (Pioner Multi 5.3): Saavi can carry up to 7 passengers in the area 1 and 5 passengers in the area 2. Saavi is especially good for diving. It has a flat bottom and large open area for working. In the front of the boat is a hatch that can be lowered down on the sea level for easy access into the water and back.
5 - LINDER 445 Max: Linder 445 Max can carry up to 4 persons in the areas 1 and 2 or two divers and one passenger. Boat is especially suitable for small research groups working on the islands.
2, 3 and 4 - LINDER (Linder 400 Sportsman): Linder 2 has 15 hp engine and Linders 3 and 4 have 9.9 hp engines. Smaller Linders are especially good when sampling in the local area around TZS and for courses. Linders 2-4 can carry up to 4 passengers (or 2 divers).
ROWING BOATS 1-4: These four rowing boats and boat number 1 (MiniBuster) can be used free of charge by those visiting TZS, but they also need to be booked in advance via the online booking system.
Seven temperature-controlled rooms in the main building, 1st floor. One of them is usable in sub-zero temperature.
Three temperature-regulated aquaria rooms. Two in the main building, ground floor, and one in the main building, 1st floor. Downstairs aquaria rooms are predominantly meant for large indoor mesocosm experiments and there is a possibility to use heated or cooled seawater. The upstairs aquarium room is suitable for smaller scale experiments.
Outside aquaria facilities (greenhouses). Flow-through seawater, electricity, no temperature control. Light following the in-situ light conditions.
Outdoor mesocosm facility consisting of twelve mesocosm bags.
Wet lab on the ground floor of the main building and sieving station in front of the boat shed and onboard r/v Augusta ship schedule permitting.
Excellent possibilities for field experiments in a variety of different coastal habitats. Contact the TZS research coordinators for more information.
Tvärminne zoological station has facilities for scientific diving that includes suitable boats for diving, drying room and storage space upon agreement. Some dive equipment can be borrowed for research and for course work. Station has a compressor for filling tanks to 200 and 300 bar. Diving services at TZS include e.g., sampling, deployment of research equipment, checking of experimental set-up, and scientific diving training through Finnish Scientific Diving Academy (FSDA). All divers need to show diver´s certificate, logbook as a proof of experience, filled-in health report form or valid medical certificate, diver´s insurance. All divers must take part to the dive safety briefing and checkup dive at the station before diving at the station. All diving services, training, use of boats, facilities, and equipment are liable to charge.
If you are planning to dive at TZS and need a permit, please contact our dive manager.
For inquiries regarding research underwater contact the research coordinator.
If you need underwater installations contact the technical staff.
Inquiries regarding scientific diver training and FSDA contact the coordinator of the FSDA. More information about the scientific diving and dive training can be found under the FSDA page.
Several rooms with dry lab space for analysis and sample preparation and handling. Please consult head of laboratory Jaana Koistinen for booking and more information.
The following equipment is available in the laboratory in addition to standard equipment such as pH- and conductivity meters, oxygen titrator, ice machine, incubators, water baths, vacuum pumps, magnetic stirrers, ultrasonic cleaners, water filtering etc.
Carbon Analyzers; Shimadzu TOC-V CPH Total Organic Carbon Analyzer
C/N-Analyzer; Europa Scientific ANCA-MS 20-20 15N/13C mass spectrometer
Flow cytometer; BD Accuri C6 Plus (488 and 640 nm laser excitation)
Particle size analyzer: Microtrac SYNC 3R/Img L (with Microtrac FlowSync sample system)
Photometric analyzer; Thermo Scientific Aquakem 250
Spectrofluorometers; Varian Cary Eclipse (with microplate reader)
Spectrophotometers; Shimadzu UV-2501 PC and Hitachi U-1100
Autoclaves; Finn-Aqua 46-E and Systec VX-120
Balances; Mettler toledo XPR205DU (with printer + ionizing unit), Mettler Toledo MS1003TS, Mettler Toledo AX 205 (with printer + ionizing unit), Mettler Toledo XS104, Mettler PM 34, Ohaus Adventurer AX40 and AX4302, Ohaus Scout SKX6201
Centrifuges; VWR Mega Star 1.6R, Eppendorf 5430R, Eppendorf 5415 R (all cooling)
Chamber furnaces; Nabertherm L 24/11/B410, Nabertherm LE 14/11/R7, Carbolite CWF 12/13, Carbolite CWF 12/5
Climatic chamber/incubator; RUMED P530, Panasonic MLR-352H
Drying ovens; Termaks TS 9053 and 9135
Freeze dryer; Alpha 1-2LD
Ball mill; Retsch Mixer Mill MM 400
Homogenizer; VWR VDI 12
Laminar Flow cabinet; Instrulab-LIV 6020 AT
Peristaltic pumps; Heidolph 5006, Ismatec MS-CA 4/640, Ismatec Reglo Digital MS-4/6-160
Ultrafreezers; Vestfrost VTS 098 (-86°C)
Laboratory water purification systems include reverse osmosis (Merck Millipore RiOs 24 Essential), Milli-Q (Merck Millipore Synergy UV and Milli-Q Direct) and ion exchanger (Miele E 318)
Inverted microscopes; Leica DM ILB HC, Leica DMIRB with epifluorescence component, Wild M 40, Leitz Labovert
Epifluorescence microscope; Leitz Dialux 20
Interference microscope; Leitz Diaplan
Light microscopes; Wild M 11 and M 20, with and without phase contrast; Leica DM 2500 with ICT-component, Leica DM750 (+camera Leica ICC50 HD)
Stereo microscopes; Wild M4, M5, M7, M8; Leica Wild M3B, Leica MZ6, Leica S6E
Digital camera system; Leica DFC 490; Leica MC190 HD; Leica DMC 6200
Cold light sources; Schott KL 1500, Leica CLS 150 XE, VWR Visilight CL150
The field equipment includes standard sampling equipment such as water samplers, plankton nets, sediment corers, grabs, dredges, and handheld probes. In addition TZS offers diving facilities, operational all year round.
Valeport Mini CTD, Sontek CastAway CTD (onboard r/v Augusta)
LI-COR LI-1500 Light Meter/logger with LI-190 Quantum sensor, LI-192 Underwater quantum sensor, LI-193 Spherical underwater quantum sensor
RBRsolo PAR logger
YSI Pro ODO Oxygen sensor/logger (onboard r/v Augusta)
YSI ProSolo ODO/CT Oxygen, temperature and salinity sensor/logger, 2 pcs
Onset HOBO U26 oxygen and temperature loggers
Onset HOBO U24 conductivity and temperature loggers
Onset HOBO Pendant temperature loggers
Water samplers, Limnos 2L, 2.8L and Limnos 5L
Plankton nets, mesh sizes 10-200 µm
Sediment samplers: van Veen grab, box corer (small), box corer (large) with 12 acrylic liners, GeMax twincorer, HAPS corer for sandy sediments, Ekman grab, Sediment Limnos, Petit Ponar
Meridata MD-DSS multi-mode sonar system and S-150Pi side-scan sonar with 100 m cable.
TZS has a long history of monitoring the environment and the oldest observations date back to the beginning of the 20th century. We are in the process of describing and opening our datasets. If you are interested in any of the data listed below, please contact research coordinator.