The shelf zone of the Laptev Sea and the Lena Delta in particular, has shown pronounced changes over the last 100 years. Despite growing interest into the region, the still insufficient amount of observational data as well as the lack of modeling efforts with fine resolution over the shelf leaves many challenging questions. Certain observational evidence has, however, already accumulated, leading to valuable insights about dynamics in the current region. We collected the data about temperature and salinity profiles, dissolved oxygen and pH for the Lena Delta region of the Laptev Sea for different years. Additionally, the newly organized expedition to the Lena Delta allowed collecting the particulate carbon content and chemical composition in the main Lena freshwater channels. Based on these data, the dominant environmental factors driving the biological system were established. Given the large territory, the direct measurement data have to be supplemented by a hydrodynamical and bio-optical analysis via remote sensing and modeling. The goal of our modeling approach is to simulate the shelf circulation dynamics under the action of varying atmospheric forcing, Lena runoff and tidal forcing, and their impact on ecosystem dynamics.