The Merian was financed by the German government and is assigned to the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research at Warnemünde, with Rostock as its home port.

[3] The ship is equipped with two azimuth thrusters, a lateral pump-jet, and satellite navigation, enabling it to automatically maintain an exact position.

It can operate without any polluting emissions for 48 hours (apart from the normal engine exhaust), allowing it to conduct research in ecologically sensitive areas.

It is 94.80 m long, 19.20 m wide, and has a maximum draft of 6.50 m. Flank speed is 15 knots (28 km/h), and range is up to 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km) and 35 days.

[3] The Merian's keel was laid in June 2003 at the Maritim Ltd. wharf in Gdańsk, Poland, which belongs to the German Kröger Werft company.