Abstract
Transport, distribution and remobilization processes of sediments and suspended matter of the Wadden Sea or within the marine areas have a major influence on the pollution situation of the these areas. The combined analysis of element fingerprints and isotope ratios of selected elements is suitable to provide valuable insights into the origin, transport pathways and distribution of sediments and suspended sediments within the study area. Thus, sediment and freshwater samples were taken from the German part of the Elbe river and its tributaries in August and October 2015 to identify their elemental and isotopic fingerprint and to investigate potential inputs of this major river system into the German Bight. All sediment samples were taken using a box grab and were analyzed for their grain size distribution by laser diffraction.