The NIOO Phytotron is a complex of greenhouses and climate chambers. In addition to offering controlled growing and rearing environments, the Phytotron offers rooms to process, prepare, harvest or store experiments. The Phytotron also provides physiological analysis- and field equipment, ovens and has a large stock of disposables which can be used.

The long-term study population of Eurasian oystercatchers on Schiermonnikoog is used to study (1) the causes of population change in this indicator species of the Wadden Sea ecosystem, (2) to understand how individuals and populations respond to rapid environmental change.