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reliable predictions. 
Ice Service 
To evaluate ice situations, the ice service uses 
- observations of the BSH MARNET stations and station reports received from the U.S, 
Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland, and 
- satellite images of the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic, and Arctic waters. 
Sea state forecasting service 
The Sea State Forecasting Service, jointly with the German Weather Service, operates the 
following sea state prediction models: 
- deep water model for the Northeast Atlantic 
- one shallow water model each for the European Shelf (including the North Sea) and the 
Baltic Sea 
The prediction models are forced by forecasts from the meteorological prediction models of 
the German Weather Service 
Drift forecasts 
Forecasts of the drift and dispersion of water-polluting substances or floating objects (e.g. in 
marine casualties) are made by the BSH on the basis of different drift/dispersion models for 
oil, floating objects (buoys, life-rafts, containers etc) and water-soluble substances 
- to identify polluters in the case of illegal discharges 
- to provide basic data for environmental impact assessments, 
- to investigate pollution of the marine environment 
- to investigate long-term transports of contaminants from specific sources (river estuaries, 
oil and gas platforms etc), and 
- to monitor water exchange in ocean straits. 
The drift and dispersion simulations are based on the results of an operational circulation 
model for the North Sea and Baltic Sea. 
DOD - German Oceanographic Data Centre 
DOD collects the oceanographic data compiled by German institutions, checks the quality of 
the measured data, flags the quality of each individual measurement, corrects data in co 
ordination with the data producer, transfers them to uniform formats, adds the required meta 
data and passes them on to the relevant regional data centres or to the world data centres. 
Products and services 
The following products are provided by the individual services: 
Water level prediction and storm surge warning services 
- four daily water level predictions for the North and Baltic Seas which are broadcast by 
radio and communicated to federal agencies, 
- statistical processing of measured water levels and predictions 
Ice service 
ice report for the Baltic