  We present first results of near infrared J and H+K ESO-SINFONI integral
field spectroscopy of the composite starburst/Seyfert 1.8 galaxy Mrk 609. The
data were taken during the science verification period of SINFONI. We aim to
investigate the morphology and excitation conditions within the central 2 kpc.
Additional Nobeyama 45 m CO(1-0) data are presented, which we used to estimate
the molecular gas mass. The source was selected from a sample of adaptive
optics suitable, SDSS/ROSAT based, X-ray bright AGN with redshifts of 0.03 < z
< 1. This sample allows for a detailed study of the NIR properties of the
nuclear and host environments with high spectral and spatial resolution. Our
NIR data reveal a complex emission-line morphology, possibly associated with a
nuclear bar seen in the reconstructed continuum images. The detections of
[SiVI] and a broad Pa alpha component are clear indicators for the presence of
an accreting super-massive black hole at the center of Mrk 609. In agreement
with previous observations we find that the circum-nuclear emission is not
significantly extincted. The analysis of the high angular resolution
rotational-vibrational molecular hydrogen and forbidden [FeII] emission reveals
a LINER character of the nucleus. The large H_2 gas mass deduced from the
CO(1-0) observation provides the fuel needed to feed the starburst and Seyfert
activity in Mrk 609. High angular resolution imaging spectroscopy provides an
ideal tool to resolve the nuclear and starburst contribution in active
galaxies. We show that Mrk 609 exhibits LINER features, that appear to be
hidden in larger aperture visible/NIR spectra.
