A visit to the German Pavilion at Expo 2012 is a bit like a present-day adventure in the style of Jules Verne's science fiction novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea".

Enlarge image The "Coasts" exhibition area at the German Pavilion at Expo 2012 in Yeosu, South Korea. (© facts and fiction GmbH) People who take a virtual dive with a research submarine to discover the greatest ecosystem on earth may well feel like Captain Nemo aboard the Nautilus. The technically sophisticated animation of a voyage of discovery into the ocean depths is one of the attractions at the German presentation from May 12 to August 12, 2012 at the world exhibition in the South Korean coastal city of Yeosu.

The theme of the world exhibition is "The living Ocean and Coast". It is a mixture of stunning experiences and top scientific-technological achievement, with more than 100 nations and international organizations taking part. The German Pavilion is welcoming its visitors under the motto "Seavolution" to a show of future-oriented technologies, projects and processes from Germany, all of which revolve around various aspects of the Expo theme in an informative and entertaining way.

Environmentally friendly ships, Tsunami early warning systems, offshore wind parks, tidal power stations and deep sea exploration probes: on their tour of the German Pavilion visitors can get to know some of these innovations that have been developed in Germany. Three major themes form the core of the German show are Coasts, Biotope and Treasure Chamber.

The "Coasts" area (photograph) is designed like a beach landscape and presents themes that shape life on the coast – such as the UNESCO world cultural heritage site, the Wadden Sea – and waters close to coastal areas. The second area of the exhibition centers on the oceans as the greatest ecosystem for animal and plant life. This "Biotope" area warns of the dangers resulting from overfishing and pollution from rubbish. Finally, the "Treasure Chamber" is dedicated to the rich resources and raw materials on the ocean bed and shows how these maritime natural resources can be exploited with care in the future.