Anja and Michael Zettler are the authors of the recently published 83th volume of book series “Die Tierwelt Deutschlands” (“Fauna of Germany”). The two IOW macrozoobenthos experts complemented the extensive encyclopaedia, which was established in 1925, with an English-language monograph on Baltic Sea amphipods. It covers a total of 243 species, which are morphologically characterised down to the last detail, and also contains notes on their ecology and behaviour. The book therefore is a valuable tool for the monitoring of indicator species of this group.
Press Release Archive
It is the biggest “fare” for exchanging scientific findings in the field of Baltic Sea research: Every second year, scientists from all littoral states and beyond meet under the umbrella of the Baltic Sea Science Congress (BSSC) in order to present their new research results. This year, the BSSC is hosted by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde and the University of Rostock.
Recognizing patterns within the whirling biology of coastal seas
Biological long-term data series are valuable tools when it comes to identifying the human impact on ecosystems or to recognizing climate driven regime shifts. However, in coastal waters, where the freshwater inflow together with weather events and local currents leads to rapidly changing values in salinity, temperature and oxygen, their informative value is limited. The reason is that the marine communities primarily respond to these fast environmental changes, which more or less mask possible responses to any other impact factors. Yet, a group of scientists from Warnemünde has now succeeded in identifying further influences by means of specialized statistical approaches.
Tracking down the greenhouse gases methane & Co: IOW heads a method standardization expedition
On October 15, 2016, an international research team under the lead of IOW heads out on the research vessel ELISABETH MANN BORGESE for a one-week cruise on the Baltic Sea. The goal of the 12 scientists from Germany, China, the UK, and the USA is to prepare the road for measuring the marine emissions of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide worldwide with highly precise and comparable methods. Therefore six measuring systems will participate in an on-board intercalibration campaign and the results will be communicated as recommendations to the SCOR.
Better Career Opportunities for Women in Marine Research
The European Union is funding the project “Baltic Gender” with 2.2 Million Euros
In many areas of marine research men and women are now working together as equals. However, women are still under-represented in leadership positions. Partners from eight scientific institutions in five countries around the Baltic Sea will be working together in the project "Baltic Gender" trying to reduce gender inequalities in marine sciences. The project is coordinated by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and funded by the European Union with 2.2 Million Euros.
The challenges of phosphorus — International IPW8 Conference in Rostock identifies solutions
From September 12 to 16, 2016, the 8th International Phos-phorus Workshop (IPW8), entitled "Phosphorus 2020: Chal-lenges for synthesis, agriculture, and ecosystems", took place in Rostock. 230 scientists from around the world discussed possible solutions arising from their latest research regarding the responsible use of this finite raw material. The aim is to avoid serious damage to the environment, such as the eutrophication of water bodies, and to ensure that, through its sustainable use, there will be enough phosphorus to maintain the world's food supply in the future.
IPW8: International conference explores the current state of phosphorus research
From September 12 to 16, 2016, the 8th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW8) with the title “Phosphorus 2020 — Challenges for synthesis, agriculture, and ecosystems” will be held in Rostock, Germany. Its overarching theme is to discuss the research progress concerning the vital question of how phosphorus can be utilized sustainably in the face of finite reserves and without severe environmental damage. 230 experts coming from more than 30 different countries will attend. The international phosphorus workshop (IPW) is one of the most important expert meetings of European phosphorus research and takes place every three years.
Can ‘farting’ copepods affect the climate? IOW expedition on methane production of zooplankton
Methane is an important greenhouse gas with a strong potential to impact climate de-velopment on earth. There are, however, huge gaps in the knowledge concerning indi-vidual sources of methane and to which extent they have an actual impact on the atmos-phere. On August 6, 2016, a research team under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Bal-tic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) set out aboard the research vessel ALKOR for a 3-week cruise into the central Baltic Sea to examine for the first time systematically, whether certain, at times very abundant copepods and their microbial gut flora produce substantial amounts of atmospherically effective methane.
First comprehensive inventory of the entire Baltic sea floor
The renowned ICES Journal of Marine Science published most recently the first comprehensive survey of the distribution of macrozoobenthos communities in the entire Baltic Sea – a study done by the IOW scientists Mayya Gogina and Michael Zettler and a team of co-authors. Based on the abundance of certain species at more than 7.000 locations, they identified 10 major communities. In the most northern areas, benthic communities with only few major key species belonging to crustaceans, polychaetes and bivalves (e.g. Monoporeia affinis, Marenzelleria spp. und Macoma balthica, respectively) exist. They dominate most of the Baltic Sea north of the Bornholm Basin, which means nearly 60 % of the whole sea floor of the Baltic
IOW expedition studies eddies in the Baltic Sea to collect data for im-proving climate modelling
On June 18, 2016, a research team under the lead of the Leibniz IOW set out from Rostock port aboard the research vessel ELISABETH MANN BORGESE for a 9-day cruise into a sea area south of Bornholm island. The expedition focuses on the oceanographic analysis of eddy structures in the surface layer of the Baltic Sea and their impact on marine currents as well as microorganisms. IOW’s expedition contributes to the project “Clockwork Ocean” of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht – Centre for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG), which for the first time employs a manned zeppelin that cooperates with research vessels for the study of marine eddies.