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German Marine Research
Our Seas and Oceans
Our Seas and Oceans
The world oceans cover more than 70 % of the earth’s surface, and more than 40 % of the
world’s population lives in coastal regions in close contact with the sea. Our Earth should
therefore actually be called “Planet Ocean”. Driven by an expanding world population and
increased scarcity of resources on land, utilization of the marine realm by humans is being
intensified in many ways, although less is known about the deep seas and oceans than the
back of the moon.
There is a great need for sound knowledge about the seas. In view of the special relationship between humans and the sea, this leads to growing demands on marine sciences. In
this context, the German marine research community considers itself a partner for society,
policy making and economy in the effort for a sustainable use and protection of the sea.
This brochure introduces the German Marine Research Consortium (KDM) with its
15 member institutions. Founded in 2004, KDM represents the broad spectrum of marine
sciences in Germany with complementary research topics and regional foci. The KDM membership comprises all large research institutions, universities and non-university institutes
and museums as well as one Federal authority, which are engaged in marine, polar and
coastal research.
The main tasks of the German Marine Research Consortium are
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Research planning and development
International cooperation
Cooperation with decision makers in the national and international context
Infrastructure management
Provision of information and public outreach
KDM concentrates the marine science expertise of its member institutions in order to
represent it jointly to policy makers and research funding organizations and to present it
to the public. With its research work, its contributions to higher education as well as its
transfer of knowledge and technology, marine research serves as a stimulus for innovations
and contributes significantly to the standing of the maritime sector in the northern
German coastal states.
Our Seas and Oceans
The German Marine Research Consortium promotes all aspects of German marine research. With offices in Berlin and Brussels, KDM is the recognized national point of contact
for the Federal Government and has close connections at the European level with EU institutions. In this way, KDM contributes actively to the development of relevant programs
and marine policies and strives towards more visibility of German marine research at the
international level.
Sound scientific knowledge is a prerequisite for political action for the protection and
sustainable use of the seas. KDM makes this knowledge available. By analysing present and
future research needs, the German marine research community participates through KDM
in national and international research planning.
Via the advanced technology necessary for work at sea and on land, marine research is
a driving force for the development of the newest methods and instruments. KDM is committed to promoting the availability, coordination, efficient use and further development of
the most modern infrastructure. This applies to the modernization of the German research
fleet, to the development of measurement systems with innovative sensors for remotely
operated and autonomous underwater vehicles, the establishment of complex ocean observatories for long-term observations in sensitive key regions of the oceans and in coastal
waters, as well as to supercomputers and satellite-based remote sensing.
All of these components taken together are essential for excellence in the marine sciences.
They are a prerequisite which enables German marine research to make its contribution in
finding solutions for the grand challenges of society.
Marine Science rises to the challenges to society
The German marine science community combines its expertise in KDM in order to address
the grand challenges facing our society, which prominently affect the oceans and the seas.
It creates the preconditions for the protection and sustainable use of the seas, for which the
following research foci are of particular importance.
Role of the oceans in the global climate system
The oceans play a central role in the regulation of the climate. The human contribution to
climate change is eminent and can exacerbate extreme natural events such as storms and
Our Seas and Oceans
floods. It has an effect on rising sea levels, the erosion of coasts and the changes in ecosystems through global warming and the acidification of the seas.
Sustainable use of marine resources
The world oceans contain vital resources from food to energy and minerals. Biological and
genetic resources have great potential for biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications,
and the sea floor harbours valuable metal deposits. KDM supports innovative technologies
and makes knowledge and measurement data available for the exploration of resources and
their sustainable use.
Conservation of biodiversity and protection of marine ecosystems
The oceans, as the largest habitat on the planet, are still mainly unexplored, but are subject
to constant change through human interference and natural processes. Basic research is the
only way to gain knowledge about marine biodiversity and marine ecosystems with their
unique element cycles and to preserve them for the future.
Prediction and mitigation of natural hazards such as storm surges, coastal erosion and tsunamis
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can trigger mudslides and tsunamis with catastrophic
consequences for the people living at the coasts. In order to investigate these phenomena
with modern instruments and sophisticated observatory systems and to improve the prediction of natural hazards, KDM institutions are developing appropriate measurement systems
extending from the deep sea to the land.
The member institutions of the German Marine Research Consortium
On the following pages, the 15 member institutions of KDM introduce themselves. They
belong to scientific organizations such as the Helmholtz and the Leibniz Associations, public
and private universities, museum foundations and a Federal Ministry.
The overview demonstrates the excellent, broad scientific scope of German marine
research – also in international comparison – and its great expertise in complementary
research fields.
Alfred Wegener Institute
for Polar and Marine Research
The Alfred Wegener Institute conducts research in the Arctic, the Antarctic and in temperate latitudes. It coordinates polar research in Germany and contributes to knowledge on
the complex interrelationships in the earth system. Understanding the driving forces and
changes in the climate system has become an increasingly central focus in the scientific
work. As a member of the Helmholtz Association, 90 % of its funding is provided by the
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, 8 % from the state of Bremen and
1 % each from the states of Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The institute employs
around 900 people. Central headquarters are in Bremerhaven, with regional branches
Potsdam, Helgoland and List on the Island of Sylt.
Characteristic of the research work at the institute are its strong international ties and
the broad scientific basis upon which it is carried out. At the Alfred Wegener Institute, there
is close cooperation between the biosciences, the geosciences and climate research. From
research on the atmosphere to the deep sea, almost all disciplines in polar and marine basic
science are covered. Since polar research and marine research are logistically demanding,
the institute operates an excellent infrastructure for polar research, such as the research
ice-breaker POLARSTERN, which is made available by AWI for national and international
scientific work.
CEN
Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability
University of Hamburg
The Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability
of the University of Hamburg, in short CEN, combines the
expertise of nine different institutes and research units.
CEN is the successor to the Center for Marine and Climate
Research, and, as such, it has been a member of the German
Marine Research Consortium since 2004.
CEN scientists include oceanographers, meteorologists,
geophysicists, marine biologists, geologists, soil scientists,
geographers and biogeochemists, a total of around 450
employees. They are all involved in earth system and
climate research and in questions of sustainability.
Through the “Excellence Initiative” of the Federal Government and the Länder, the cooperation between them has
been substantially intensified, and the number of partners
has increased. CEN cooperates closely with non-university
research institutions as part of the KlimaCampus Hamburg.
CEN has the goal of extending and consolidating the
university’s marine, environmental and climate research
through collaboration on overreaching topics and the concrete planning of cooperative research foci. In the Control
Station German Research Vessels, CEN organizes operations of the research vessels “Meteor”, “Maria S. Merian”
and in the future the new “Sonne”.
Department Maritime Systems
In 2007 the Department of Maritime Systems was founded
at the University of Rostock with the goal of combining the
university’s resources in maritime research, representing
about 40 professorships from 8 faculties. The interdisciplinary cooperation in this department centers around three
main foci.
The research area “Coastal Zones in Global and Regional
Change” concentrates on important ecosystem trends, such
as changes in the hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics,
in element cycles and in biodiversity. Causes and effects of
these trends are determined and prognoses are made for
scenarios of expected change.
In the area “Sustainable Development and Management”, the interests of stakeholders in the coastal region
are regarded in their ecological, economical, political and
societal context. Holistic strategies aim at contributing to
the development of the coasts as ecologically intact and
economically prosperous living spaces.
In the research area “Utilization of Maritime Systems”,
technical solutions are developed for the maritime economy.
The spectrum ranges from the investigation and modeling
of hydrodynamic processes to the construction of large
maritime structures, innovations in shipbuilding and the
conception of coastal defense measures. Innovative strategies are also being developed for fisheries and aquaculture.
Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research
University of Rostock
Founded in 1951 as a city natural history museum in the
former Dominican monastery of St. Catherine in Stralsund,
the German Oceanographic Museum has advanced to an
internationally recognized museum during the past
60 years of its existence. Its basic concept makes it a
unique institution, because there are only few museums
worldwide specializing in such a comprehensive scientific
work and presentation of the marine habitat.
German Oceanographic
Museum
In the summer of 2011 the OZEANEUM opened a large new
permanent exhibition on current topics in marine research,
the contents of which were developed together with the
scientists of the German Marine Research Consortium.
By now, the foundation runs four museums with 140
staff members: The oceanographic museum in Stralsund,
opened 1951, the NATUREUM Darßer Ort near Prerow,
opened 1991, the NAUTINEUM on the Dänholm, Stralsund,
which opened in 1999, and, since 2008, the OZEANEUM on
the harbour island of Stralsund. The OZEANEUM Stralsund
was awarded “Europe’s Museum of the Year 2010” for its in-
novative concept and the effective interplay consisting of museum and aquarium. Since the
opening of this new site, the German Oceanographic Museum has become one of the most
popular museums in Germany, with over one million visitors annually.
The GEOMAR | Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
is one of the world’s leading institutions in the field of
marine sciences. The mission of GEOMAR is to investigate
the physical, chemical, biological, and geological processes
in the oceans and their interaction with the seafloor and
the atmosphere. With this spectrum ranging from the deep
sea to the atmosphere, GEOMAR is unique in Germany.
Additionally, the institute is bridging the gap between
basic and applied science in a number of research areas.
Currently, GEOMAR has a staff of about 750, including
400 scientists.
The state-of-the-art infrastructure of GEOMAR includes
four research vessels, two remotely operated underwater
vehicles with diving depths down to 6000 meters, an
autonomous underwater vehicle with a depth range of
6000 meters, the only manned research submersible in
Germany (400 m diving depth) as well as a large number
of specialized instruments and technologies for ocean
research.
The overarching research topics of GEOMAR include:
(1) the role of the ocean in climate change, (2) human impact
on marine ecosystems, (3) biological, mineral and energy resources as well as (4) natural marine hazards. GEOMAR works
world-wide in all oceans within an international network of
scientific partners.
GEOMAR
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht
Centre for Materials and Coastal Research
The activities of the Institute for Coastal Research embrace
scientific and social questions in a local as well as a global
context. By analysing the current condition and change
of coastal systems scenarios for the management of this
natural habitat and economic region are developed.
The Institute for Coastal Research is particularly concerned with the regional climate in northern Germany and
the adjacent North Sea and Baltic Sea. For these regions,
measurements of storms – their wind speeds as well as the
associated sea states and storm surges – are of central importance for the economy and the environment. At the moment, the HZG is developing the coastal observatory COSYNA
(Coastal Observation System for Northern and Arctic Seas).
COSYNA improves, for example, the observation of algae
blooms or sand movements and gives coastal management
important prediction models and scenarios.
In the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG), around 260
employees are working in the Coastal Research on the scientific basis for sustainable management of the coastal zones.
The “LUDWIG PRANDTL” is the research vessel of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht. With its draught of 1.7 meters, it
can be operated not only in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
but also in the Wadden Sea and in river mouths, making it an
ideal platform for investigations in the coastal region.
Institute for Chemistry and Biology
of the Marine Environment
University of Oldenburg
The Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment of the University of
Oldenburg (ICBM) investigates the oceans as part of the earth system with an interdisciplinary natural science approach in order to better understand the complex interrelationships
in global elemental fluxes and the marine ecosystem. The analysis, theoretical description
and modeling of these complex systems are the main elements of the basic research at the
institute.
The ICBM, with its locations in Oldenburg and Wilhelmshaven, is the only university
marine research institute in Lower Saxony. One of the ICBM foci is marine research in the
transition zone between the land and the sea. Geochemists, microbiologists, ecologists and
modelers investigate together the processes which govern the Wadden Sea and North Sea
habitats in order to answer the questions arising as to the future of the North Sea area in
times of global change. Basic research in microbiology and biodiversity of marine systems
are further areas of scientific work. In addition, there are research groups at the institute
developing technologies for marine research and monitoring.
The ICBM comprises a staff of about 140 who have at their disposal a variety of most
efficient equipment. Besides highly modern instrumentation for geochemical and microbiological analyses, including one of the most powerful mass
spectrometers (FT-ICR-MS), a well-equipped time-series station in the
Wadden Sea as well as research vessels up to a length of 13 metres and
particularly well suited for the use in the tidal flats are major items of the
technical infrastructure.
Jacobs University
Bremen
Jacobs University combines a broad spectrum of disciplines to achieve a modern, integrated
approach in education and research. 1300 students from more than 110 nations are engaged
in the 19 Bachelor and 20 Graduate programs, receiving their training from 130 professors.
At the university, students or researchers primarily working in one field can benefit greatly
from the cross-disciplinary focus of the university. The majority of study areas are closely
linked with another, examples including natural science with engineering science, electrical
engineering with computer science, geosciences with astrophysics, and biochemistry with
cell biology.
Scientists from Jacobs University are active in the areas of oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics. Work in the OceanLab focuses on improving our understanding
of carbon and trace element cycles in the areas of the continental shelf and the deep sea,
within hydrothermal vent ecosystems, and in surface waters. By understanding these
systems better we can also develop new strategies for the utilisation of marine algae both
as a resource and for CO2 mitigation. OceanLab has been successful in the field of underwater robotics development for internet monitored deep sea observatories, and continuing
such development in the future will be a major foci of the groups work. Currently around
60 people (faculty, technicians, graduate and undergraduate students) are involved in ocean
sciences at Jacobs University. OceanLab provides a 12 m seawater-flume, a large saltwater
test basin, a 7 m research boat, a water column simulator, 200 m2 of microalgae production
plant and access to two cabled online observatories (one in the NE Pacific, one in the Norwegian Skagerrak). Several internet operated vehicles (IOVs) can be used to study processes in
the bottom waters and surface sediments of the oceans.
Johann Heinrich
von Thünen-Institute
Aquatic Resources
Hamburg, Rostock
The three fisheries research institutes of the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (vTI), Federal Research Institute
for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, carry out applied
research on the effects of fisheries, aquaculture and other
forms of marine utilisation on fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems.
The Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries in Rostock currently
hosts 23 scientists, the Institute of Sea Fisheries in Hamburg 33 scientists, and the Institute of Fishery Ecology in
Hamburg, Ahrensburg and Cuxhaven 16 scientists. The
most important infrastructure available for vTI fisheries research comprises three research vessels (FRV Walther Herwig III, 64.5m vessel length; Solea, 42.4m; Clupea, 28.8m),
operating in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and North Atlantic as
well as aquaculture facilities in Ahrensburg.
The main objective of vTI Fisheries Research is to assess
the status of fish stocks and to provide a scientific basis for
sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. This work is internationally deeply embedded and coordinated by intergovernmental bodies. A further goal is to develop and implement
fisheries management systems which are in accordance
with the principles of precautionary resource utilisation.
vTI Fisheries Research is a member of the network of
European fisheries and aquaculture research institutes and
interacts with international committees and conventions
(e.g. ICES, NAFO, OSPAR, HELCOM, CCAMLR). Nationally, it
contributes to the Federal-States
Monitoring Programme for the
Marine Environment in the North
Sea and Baltic Sea.
Leibniz Center
for Marine Tropical Ecology, Bremen
The Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT) is dedicated to research and education
on tropical coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, sea grass meadows, coral reefs, river estuaries and upwelling areas.
In close cooperation with project partners in the tropics, the ZMT carries out basic research on the structure and function of tropical coastal ecosystems, on their resources and
on their reactions to human impacts and natural changes. With this, it contributes to concepts for sustainable use and protection of these habitats.
In its projects, the ZMT uses an interdisciplinary approach. Its areas of research include
ecology, biogeochemistry, geology, ecological modeling and social sciences. The educational
activities are carried out in cooperation with universities and research institutions both in
Germany and abroad in the form of university lectures and special courses. In the tropical
partner countries, the ZMT contributes to the improvement of expertise and infrastructure
in the area of coastal zone management.
The institute runs a marine experimental facility (MAREE) with several independent
recirculating systems and a mesocosm. About 85 staff members are employed by ZMT.
Leibniz-Institute
for Baltic Sea Research
Warnemünde (IOW)
The Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde
is a non-university research institute dedicated to interdisciplinary marine research in the coastal and marginal seas.
The main focus is on the investigation of the Baltic Sea
ecosystem. The IOW is a member of the Leibniz Association
(WGL). It is jointly funded by the German Federal Ministry
of Education and Research and by the State Ministry of
Education of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In an agreement
with the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, IOW
has taken over the monitoring of the Baltic Sea, to which
the Federal Republic of Germany and the other Baltic Sea
countries have committed themselves in the framework of
the Helsinki Convention.
At the IOW, all four basic disciplines of marine research
(Physical Oceanography, Marine Chemistry, Biological
Oceanography, Marine Geology) are represented. The leading scientists also teach at the University of Rostock in the
faculties of biology, chemistry and physics and at the geosciences department at the Ernst Moritz Arndt University
of Greifswald. In total, the IOW staff comprises approximately 200 persons. The two research vessels “Elisabeth
Mann Borgese” und “Maria S. Merian” are available for
IOWs work at sea.
MARUM
Center for Marine Environmental
Sciences
MARUM aims at understanding the role of the oceans in the Earth’s system by employing
state-of-the-art methods. It examines the significance of the oceans within the framework of global change, quantifies interactions between the marine geosphere and biosphere, and provides information for sustainable use of the ocean. MARUM comprises the
DFG research center and the cluster of excellence “The Ocean in the Earth System”.
MARUM has about 430 employees and operates one of three sediment core archives
existing worldwide within the framework of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program IODP.
Together with the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research MARUM operates the data information system PANGAEA.
MARUM applies state-of-the-art instruments for deep sea research which are constantly
being refined. These include the deep sea drill rig MARUM-MeBo, remotely and autonomously operated underwater vehicles.
The international Graduate School GLOMAR (“Global Change in the Marine Realm”)
aims at educating excellent young scientists. Last not least MARUM maintains a science
communication department to serve the general public, media, teachers, and students.
Max Planck Institute
for Marine Microbiology, Bremen
The Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology is a modern marine research institute of the Max Planck Society. At
the institute in Bremen more than 160 scientists from over
20 nations work in the three departments “Biogeochemistry”, “Microbiology” and “Molecular Ecology”. They investigate the role, diversity and properties of microorganisms
from the sea.
The habitat for microbes is gigantic, since more than
70 % of the earth’s surface is covered by the seas. A multitude of unknown microorganisms have adapted to the different ecological niches. From extremely hot ones near the
black smokers to Arctic cold ones in polar waters – these
specialists can survive under the most extreme conditions.
There is a tremendous biological potential to be discovered in the sea. Particularly the marine sediments are
sites of intensive and diverse metabolic processes, since
most biomass ends up here. Just as diverse are the bacteria
contributing to these processes, which possess considerable biochemical capabilities that are not to be found in
the plant and animal kingdoms. Using modern methods in
genetic engineering, microbiology and geochemistry, the
scientists are analyzing these processes.
An additional focus is the education of Master and PhD
students at the International Max Planck Research School
“Marmic” of the University of Bremen and the Jacobs
University.
Max Planck Institute
for Meteorology, Hamburg
The main objective of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) is to understand how and why the Earth’s
climate changes. It investigates with 260 employees what
determines the sensitivity of the Earth system to perturbations such as the changing composition of its atmosphere,
and work toward establishing the sources and limits of
predictability within the Earth system.
The department “The Ocean in the Earth System” investigates all aspects of the ocean’s role in climate dynamics.
This includes glacial and interglacial cycles as well as the
behavior of the ocean meridional overturning in a future
world with enhanced greenhouse gas concentrations.
For this, processes in the atmosphere, on land and in the
ocean are simulated using highly complex Earth system
models. Such models are important tools in climate research and serve in international assessments of climate
change. In order to improve the understanding of the past,
current and future ocean, coupled ocean-atmosphere and
Earth system models are the main research tools. In addition, satellite observations, in situ measurements, statistical
analyses and data assimilations are also employed.
Senckenberg
Gesellschaft für Naturforschung
Senckenberg am Meer Wilhelmshaven has been the marine station of the Senckenberg Society since 1928. The institute consists of the departments “Marine Research” and
“German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB)”,
which was founded in 2001, and it operates the research
vessel Senckenberg. Including the department “Marine
Zoology” in Frankfurt, Senckenberg employs 100 staff
members who work on marine topics.
The department “Marine Research” carries out socially
relevant research in actuopalaeontology, marine sedimentology, marine biology and marine geology – from the
Wadden Sea to the shelf margin in the North Sea. Internationally, it participates in geo-biological research of
continental margins and seamounts in the North Atlantic
and the Mediterranean Sea. The department “Marine Zoology” investigates the megabenthos and the macrobenthos,
particularly in the deep sea and at hydrothermal vents. It is
active in the Arabian Sea and in the North Sea as well as in
East Asian seas.
The German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research
(DZMB) focuses on taxonomic and systematic research on
marine organisms and on biodiversity in the ocean. With
botanical, zoological, ecological and molecular-taxonomical
expertise, it analyses samples from the deep sea, polar
regions or seamounts. The sample material is archived and
made available to German marine research. The DZMB has
a further location at the Zoological Institute and Museum
(ZIM) of the University of Hamburg.
KDM-Institutes
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
www.awi.de
CEN Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, University of Hamburg
www.cen.uni-hamburg.de
Department of Maritime Systems, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research,
University of Rostock
www.inf.uni-rostock.de
German Oceanographic Museum
www.meeresmuseum.de
GEOMAR | Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
www.geomar.de
Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Centre for Materials and Coastal Research
www.hzg.de
Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment,
University of Oldenburg
www.icbm.uni-oldenburg.de
KDM-Institutes
Jacobs University, Bremen
www.jacobs-university.de
Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Aquatic Resources – Hamburg, Rostock
www.vti.bund.de
Leibniz Center for Marine Tropical Ecology, Bremen
www.zmt-bremen.de
Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW)
www.io-warnemuende.de
MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences
www.marum.de
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen
www.mpi-bremen.de
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg
www.mpimet.mpg.de
Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung
www.senckenberg.de
Imprint
Editing:
Rolf Peinert (KDM)
Photos:
Title: AM_ELLUSION/iStockphoto; CEN: left UHH/KlimaCampus/
J. Hebeler, right UHH/KlimaCampus/ T. Wasilewski; University
of Rostock: left fotoMonkee/iStockphoto, right bottom G. Niedzwiedz; German Oceanographic Museum: J.-M. Schlorke; Jacobs
University: left AndreasReh/iStockphoto; IOW: left R. Reinicke;
ZMT: left. Y. Sawall and M. Vaisanen, right D. Maier; MPI Marine
Microbiology: D. Fink and N. Dubilier; Senckenberg: left A. Rose,
right A. Markert
Translation:
Susan Beddig (CEN)
Design:
HAAGEN design, www.haagendesign.de
German Marine Research Consortium
Markgrafenstraße 37, 10117 Berlin
www. deutsche-meeresforschung.de