Churned up water with many whitecaps in the sea

Foundation

The German Marine Research Alliance

Seas and oceans play a central role in global climate processes. They are among the most important eco-systems on Earth and influence the lives of millions of people. There is a great need for knowledge on how to protect the oceans and make their use by humans more sustainable.In 2019, the German marine research community, to-gether with the federal government and the northern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, founded the German Marine Research Alliance (Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung, DAM).Germany has thereby created one of the world’s largest marine research alliances.

The political kick-off for the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) took place on July 18, 2019: With the signatures of Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek, Bremen Science Senator Eva Quante-Brandt, Hamburg Science Senator Katharina Fegebank, Science Minister Karin Prien from Schleswig-Holstein, Science Minister Bettina Martin from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony State Secretary Sabine Johannsen, the administrative agreement on the establishment and funding of the DAM came into force.

Kick-off for the German Alliance for Marine Research (DAM) following the signing of the agreement on the establishment of a network of German marine research institutions on 18 July in Bonn. From left to right: Michael Schulz, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of DAM, Science Minister Karin Prien from Schleswig-Holstein, State Secretary Sabine Johannsen from Lower Saxony, Hamburg's Science Senator Katharina Fegebank, Bremen's Science Senator Eva Quante-Brandt, Federal Minister of Research Anja Karliczek, Karin Lochte, Member of the Executive Board of DAM, Michael Bruno Klein, Chairman of the Executive Board of DAM. | ©Hans-Joachim Rickel | BMBF

Founding of the association in Berlin: Broadly anchored in science

On July 4, 2019, the DAM was founded in Berlin in the legal form of a registered association of thirteen institutions: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Kiel University (CAU) with Kiel Marine Science (KMS) and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht – Center for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG), Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen, Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science e. V. V.(MPG) with the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI-MM) and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung with Senckenberg am Meer, University of Hamburg with the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), and University of Rostock with the Department of Maritime Systems (MTS).

Foundation of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) in Berlin — At the foundation of the German Marine Research Alliance on 4. July in Berlin: Rudolf Amann, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Oliver Zielinski, Director of the Institute for Marine Chemistry and Biology at the University of Oldenburg, Detlef Stammer, Director of the Centre for Earth System Research and Sustainability at the University of Hamburg, Kay-Christian Emeis, Institute Director of the Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht, Karin Lochte, DAM Executive Board, André Freiwald, Director of Senckenberg am Meer, Lutz Kipp, President of the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Michael Bruno Klein, DAM Executive Board Chairman, Udo Kragl, Vice Rector of the University of Rostock, Michael Schulz, Deputy DAM Chairman and Director of MARUM - Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen, Nicolas Dittert, Commercial Director of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Karen Wiltshire, Deputy Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Ulrich Bathmann, Director of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, and Jochem Marotzke, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (v.l.t.r.). | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

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Kick-off event: First presentation of the DAM

On March 3, 2020, the DAM presented its tasks and goals to around 200 guests at the FUTURIUM in Berlin, based on its mission statement: “We strengthen the sustainable management of the coasts, seas and oceans through research, data management and digitalization, infrastructures and transfer.”

Some impressions of the event:

Michael Meister at the German Alliance for Marine Research DAM — Michael Meister, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research at the DAM Kick-Off in March 2020. | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

“The oceans, as we know them, are massively threatened,” as Michael Meister observed very frankly. As parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, he was explaining the Federal Government’s commitment to marine research and the DAM. The goal: “Not only do we want to make excellent research possible; we also want this knowledge to be applied.”

Björn Thümler at the German Marine Research Alliance DAM — Björn Thümler, Minister of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony at the DAM Kick-Off in March 2020. | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

“Marine protection, coastal protection and climate protection form a powerful triad, which is particularly important for the North German states,” said Björn Thümler, the Minister of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, who was also speaking on behalf of the North German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein. His plea: “So I can only appeal to the researchers involved – not only as a minister, but also as someone who lives on the coast: Use the opportunities offered by this alliance to make new discoveries and help us to find the right answers to climate change.”

In his speech, Michael Schulz, Deputy Chairman of the DAM Executive Board, emphasized that “the planned cooperation in the DAM means that we in science will have to move partly out of our comfort zone and – in dialogue with stakeholders – move forward together. The scientific community is aware of this responsibility and I am confident that we will deliver”.

A panel discussion on “SEA Sustainability: From Knowledge to Action” brought together representatives of stakeholders with two marine scientists.

Nicole Dubilier, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, at the opening event of the DAM — “What ought to worry us,” said Nicole Dubilier, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology during the panel discussion, “is that sea levels are rising because of carbon dioxide levels, that our oceans are warming, and that we are losing coral reefs and seagrasses. These are the issues that we have to take very seriously.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Karsten Schwanke at the German Marine Research Alliance DAM — Karsten Schwanke, meteorologist and well-known ARD weather presenter, asked participants of the panel discussion on "A Sea of Sustainability - from Knowledge to Action" about their expectations of the DAM. | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Nele Matz-Lück, spokeswoman of the Future Ocean Network at CAU Kiel at the opening event of DAM — Nele Matz-Lück, spokeswoman of the Future Ocean Network at Kiel University, noted that “there is also a need for research on how to involve stakeholders and what transdisciplinary research is, and this must be part of the research.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Ulrich Schnabel at the opening event of the DAM — Ulrich Schnabel, a science editor at DIE ZEIT, hopes that “the creation of the DAM will produce a new dimension that extends beyond the individual research institutes, with a new dynamic. That the DAM will, for example, think about how we can contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in ways that are relevant to the public?” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Kim Detloff at the opening event of the DAM — Kim Detloff, the Head of Marine Protection at NABU e.V., hopes that the DAM will provide “many opportunities for dialogue, participation, and pursuing common issues and research content. I also hope that the DAM will provide some coordination, that it will be used as a means of conducting a discourse within the scientific community, especially when it comes to marine geoengineering.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Norbert Brackmann, Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Industry, at the launch event of the DAM — Norbert Brackmann, the Federal Government’s coordinator for the maritime industry, considered it “imperative that we start as soon as possible to scientifically assess and weigh up the opportunities and risks – for example of offshore wind energy. That is what we can and must do as politicians: weigh up, present alternatives and then come to conclusive decisions.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Moderator Karsten Schwanke in conversation with Michael Bruno Klein, Chairman of DAM — In an interview with Karsten Schwanke, Michael Bruno Klein, Chairman of the DAM Executive Board, pointed out that the DAM is "an experiment". Building on the excellence of 19 institutes, he said, "something really new is emerging. I think it's great that people are getting involved, not only in science, but also in politics, the media and civil society.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Podium discussion at the DAM kick-off event. — Discussion panel: Moderator Karsten Schwanke discussing with Norbert Brackmann, the Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Economy, Nicole Dubilier, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Kim Detloff, Head of Marine Protection at Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V., Nele Matz-Lück, spokeswoman of the Future Ocean Network at Kiel University, and Ulrich Schnabel, science editor at DIE ZEIT (from left to right). | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

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