At the invitation of Senator of Science Eva Quante-Brandt, and as part of her tour of the Federal States, today (Thursday, 7 February 2019) Federal Minister of Education and Research Anja Karliczek visited the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven.
After a welcome by AWI Director Antje Boetius, she discussed global change and changes in the marine environment with researchers from various disciplines. Scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute talked about the models that help them more accurately forecast future developments in the polar regions. Other topics included marine plastic litter and a project to reintroduce the European oyster in the North Sea. Michael Schulz, the director of MARUM (Center for Marine Environmental Sciences) at the University of Bremen, provided an overview of regional marine research collaborations and highlighted the “important role of robotics and digitalisation in deep-sea research.”
“The oceans are Earth’s largest biotope,” explained Minister Karliczek: “They are particularly affected by climate change, becoming warmer and more acidic, and the sea ice in the polar regions is melting. We have to protect our seas, because what happens to and in them has a direct impact on our life on land, and to do so, we need research findings. The Alfred Wegener Institute provides vital information to help us better understand marine habitats and the effects of climate change. I’m also particularly impressed by the value the Institute places on working with younger generations. Thank you for your commitment!”
Senator Eva Quante-Brandt stressed: “The Federal State of Bremen is one of the largest marine research sites in Germany. At the University and at extra-university facilities like the Helmholtz Centres, Leibniz and Max Planck Institutes, research is being conducted at a leading international level. These close collaborations are the cornerstone of success, and are also important in terms of developing concepts to address major challenges. After all, marine research is one of the most important research policy areas, one in which the fate of future generations will be decided. Changes in our atmosphere and marine habitats will produce far-reaching consequences for coastal communities, in the form of sea-level rise. In addition, pollution from plastic litter and toxins, as well as the overfishing of the seas, is on the rise. The marine research being pursued in Bremen is diverse: geographically speaking, it ranges from the poles to the tropics, and covers habitats from the coasts to the open ocean and its depths.”
According to AWI Director Antje Boetius: “The universities, research institutes and museums in Bremerhaven and Bremen as a whole work in close collaboration with several, often maritime-related, companies in terms of exchanging findings on the region’s development, and on the status quo and future of coastal communities, oceans and the polar regions. We share our knowledge, and discuss with various groups - including the political community - how climate change and environmental pollution can best be countered. For us researchers, it is extremely valuable to be surrounded by such an interested, communicative and active environment.”
Minister Karliczek and Senator Quante-Brandt later toured the AWI’s NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) laboratory, where they were shown how marine organisms’ physical fitness can be assessed. The lab’s tomographs are used to take a closer look at these organisms. Here scientists are investigating how animals respond to climate change, e.g. to changes in the temperature or oxygen saturation of water. These environmental variables can be simulated in the tomograph; the test subject’s metabolism is then monitored for reactions. The powerful device allows researchers to look deep into the organisms’ tissues – and in fish, even into the brain.
Rounding out their visit to the AWI, the Minister and Senator were treated to a glimpse behind the scenes of the school project HighSea: the only teaching project of its kind in Germany, and the goal of which is to spark children’s interest in the natural sciences. Each year, 22 schoolchildren are selected for the opportunity to spend two days a week during their last three years of school at the Alfred Wegener Institute, where they can study, conduct experiments, and prepare for their school-leaving examination (Abitur). What makes the project even more unique: during the time they spend at the AWI, there are essentially no boundaries between the subjects biology, chemistry, mathematics and English.