DOCSLIB.ORG

The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2017/2018

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2017/2018 The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2017/2018 A description of the responsibilities, structures and developments in education policy for the exchange of information in Europe Published by: Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany Taubenstr. 10, 10117 Berlin Edite d by: THOMAS ECKHARDT Division IVB – European and Multilateral Affairs German EURYDICE Unit of the Länder in the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany in cooperation with the German EURYDICE Unit of the Federal Government in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Editorial deadline of the original version: October 2018 © KMK, Bonn 2019 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR The Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Af- fairs is herewith presenting the NATIONAL DOSSIER for Germany as a contribution to the bet- ter mutual understanding of the education systems in Europe. The Dossier describes the responsibilities, structures and key developments in educational policy up to the middle of 2018. The discussion on education policy in Germany continues to revolve around further devel- opment and quality assurance measures with respect to school education and around im- proving comparability and mobility. The introduction of educational standards binding for all Länder and the establishment of the Institute for Educational Quality Improvement (In- stitut zur Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen – IQB) to review and develop them marked the beginning of a paradigm shift towards an output-oriented control of the education sys- tem. With the resolution of educational standards for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife (general higher education entrance qualification) and the establishment of a pool of Abitur exami- nation tasks in the subjects German, mathematics and advanced foreign languages that is common for all Länder, the Länder community now also guarantees the comparability and high quality of the Abitur tasks. The educational standards have formed the basis of sub- ject-specific requirements for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife since the beginning of the 2014/2015 school year and apply for the Abitur examinations as of the 2016/2017 school year. In December 2016, the KMK adopted the "Education in the Digital World" strategy against the backdrop of the opportunities and challenges posed by the ongoing digitalization of all areas of life. The strategy formulates clear goals for digital education in schools and higher education institutions and defines the orientation of educational content. In the school sec- tor, teaching and learning in the digital world must follow the primacy of pedagogy, i.e. the educational mission. In the period under review, the "Education in the Digital World" stra- tegy was supplemented by the chapter on continuing education and further developed with regard to data protection regulations. Democracy education was a further key topic in 2018. With the fundamental revision of its recommendations "Democracy as the goal, subject and practice of historical-political educa- tion and education in schools" and "Human rights education in schools", the Standing Con- ference has agreed to anchor democracy and human rights education even more firmly in the classroom and everyday school life in response to changing social conditions and cur- rent political challenges. The National Dossier for Germany provides an overview ranging from early childhood to adult education, as well as offering background information on the basic political and eco- nomic conditions in Germany. As this dossier serves the purposes of the exchange of infor- mation in Europe, the focus is initially on the common features of the education systems in the 16 Länder. However, in order to give the reader a picture of the variety of educational programmes in Germany, the features unique to each individual Land are also included in the description. The National Dossier has been drawn up each year since 1993 as part of the Information Network on Education in Europe (EURYDICE) on the basis of a common structure for all states. The complete texts of each National Dossier are available online in English, and part- ly also in the national language(s) of the country or region concerned, on the EURYDICE- Website. The website allows Europe-wide comparisons of individual aspects of the educa- tion systems in the 38 countries participating in the activities of the EURYDICE information network. Work on the German Dossier was completed following consultation and agreement with the Federal Government and the Länder. The work was performed by the Eurydice Infor- mation Unit of the Länder which is established within the Division for European and Multi- lateral Affairs of the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. The Dossier is supplemented by references concerning the basic legal regulations of the Federal Government and the Länder, a list of institutions and a bibliog- raphy, as well as by a glossary of national terms and the special technical terminology used. In accordance with the function of the national dossiers, the annual report for 2017/2018 contains a reliable presentation of the German education system completed in consultation with the ministries responsible for education. In this regard, the dossier supplements the reporting on education based on statistical indicators and serves Germany as basic docu- mentation and reference source on the federal education system for international contacts and consultations at European level. Furthermore, the National Dossier, being an up-to- date assessment of responsibilities, structures and developments in the German education system, addresses all interested readers in Germany and abroad. Udo Michallik Secretary General of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs PREFACE BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Maintaining Europe as an attractive and strong place to live, learn and work is the common concern of all European states. At the same time, Europe is a place with a particular diversi- ty of cultures, languages, forms of learning and education systems. In order to remain strong as Europe and to be able to respond confidently to current challenges, we want to continuously improve our education systems. This is helped by the fact that we exchange ideas with our European partner countries and learn from each other. The European Union supports this process through the Eurydice education network, which consists of national agencies in over 35 European states and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency in Brussels (EACEA). Eurydice collects and prepares information on the education systems of the European states as well as on current educational policy initiatives. In this way, Eurydice not only provides an overview of the individual education systems, but also comparable reports which enable the exchange of information and expe- rience between the states. This creates a sound knowledge base that policy-makers at na- tional and European level can use to face new and old challenges. The Eurydice publication "The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2017/2018" provides a comprehensive description of the German education system and current policy plans. The report, which the Federal Government and the Länder prepared jointly for Eurydice, covers all educational areas and levels as well as current reform initia- tives. Each member state of Eurydice compiles such an overview of its own education system. These publications are very similar in structure and therefore offer a good opportunity for comparison and transparency. The components of the respective education systems can also be looked up in the Eurydice online encyclopaedia in individual chapters. Susanne Burger Director General for European and International Cooperation in Education and Research Federal Ministry of Education and Research CONTENTS 1. POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND TRENDS 11 1.1. Introduction 11 1.2. Historical Development 11 1.3. Main Executive and Legislative Bodies 12 1.4. Population: Demographic Situation, Languages and Religions 16 1.5. Political and Economic Situation 21 2. ORGANISATION AND GOVERNANCE 23 2.1. Introduction 23 2.2. Fundamental Principles and National Policies 24 2.3. Lifelong Learning Strategy 24 2.4. Organisation of the Education System and of Its Structure 24 2.5. Organisation of Private Education 33 2.6. National Qualifications Framework 37 2.7. Administration and Governance at Central and/or Regional Level 39 2.8. Administration and Governance at Local and/or Institutional Level 56 2.9. Statistics on Organisation and Governance 64 3. FUNDING 81 3.1. Introduction 81 3.2. Early Childhood and School Education Funding 82 3.3. Higher Education Funding 89 3.4. Adult Education and Training Funding 97 4. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE 101 4.1. Introduction 101 4.2. Organisation of Programmes for Children under 2-3 Years 102 4.3. Teaching and Learning in Programmes for Children under 2-3 Years 103 4.4. Assessment in Programmes for Children under 2-3 Years 104 4.5. Organisation of Programmes for Children over 2-3 Years 104 4.6. Teaching and Learning in Programmes for Children over 2-3 Years 105 4.7. Assessment in Programmes for Children over 2-3 Years 106 4.8. Organisational Variations and Alternative Structures in Early Childhood Education and Care 106 5. PRIMARY EDUCATION 109 5.1. Introduction 109 5.2. Organisation of Primary Education 110 5.3. Teaching and Learning in Primary Education 114 7 5.4. Assessment in Primary Education 117 5.5. Organisational Variations and Alternative Structures in Primary Education 119 6. SECONDARY EDUCATION AND POST-SECONDARY NON-TERTIARY EDUCATION 121 6.1. Introduction 121 6.2. Organisation of General Lower Secondary Education 123 6.3. Teaching and Learning in General Lower Secondary Education 129 6.4. Assessment in General Lower Secondary Education 135 6.5. Organisation of General Upper Secondary Education 138 6.6.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Common Core Document of the Federal Republic of Germany
    Common Core Document of the Federal Republic of Germany (as per: 15 May 2009) II Contents CONTENTS.........................................................................................................................................................III A. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY................................ 1 I. GEOGRAPHICAL , HISTORICAL , DEMOGRAPHIC , SOCIAL , CULTURAL , ECONOMIC AND JUDICIAL CHARACTERISTICS .. 1 1. Geographical category................................................................................................................................ 1 2. Historical background................................................................................................................................. 1 3. Demographic characteristics....................................................................................................................... 3 a. General information.................................................................................................................................................. 3 b. Shares of the population with foreign nationality........................................................................................................ 5 c. Religious affiliation .................................................................................................................................................. 6 4. Social and cultural characteristics..............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Studying in Germany a Good Choice for Your Child 15 Questions And
    Studying in Germany A Good Choice for Your Child 15 Questions and Answers for Parents AnzElternFlyer_105x210_HD_Aula_02_1_en_vek_rz.indd 1 26.01.2010 17:36:27 Uhr Studying in Germany A Good Choice for Your Child 15 Questions and Answers for Parents 2nd Edition Who are we? The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is a joint organisation of German institutions of higher education and student bodies. Our task is to support academic cooperation around the world, especially by promoting the exchange of students and academics. You can find more information about studying and living in Germany in our info brochures, at www.daad.de and on our DAAD branch office and information centre websites. Studying in Germany 3 Dear Parents, We are happy that you and your child are considering Germany as a place to study abroad. Studying in a foreign country is a big challenge. As a mother myself, I am very aware of the concerns parents have about their children’s well-being and professional future. You’re probably a little nervous about how your child will fare in a foreign country. And you may have many questions that still need answering. This brochure should help you find those answers. Germany is a great place to study and has much to offer your child. German universities have an excellent reputation around the world – a reputation that has endured for hundreds of years. This might explain why Germany is one of the most popular destinations for international students. There are more than 260,000 young people from around the world who study and research in Germany today.
    [Show full text]
  • Magazin 70 Jahre Kultusministerkonferenz
    WÜRTTEMBERG BAYERN BADEN- BRANDENBURG BERLIN BREMEN MECKLENBURG-HAMBURG VORPOMMERNHESSEN NIEDERSACHSEN NORDRHEIN- WESTFALEN RHEINLAND-PFALZ SAARLAND SACHSEN SACHSEN-ANHALT SCHLESWIG- HOLSTEIN THÜRINGEN 26 — Prof. Dr. Olaf Köller / Robert Rauh Interview: Von Daten zu Taten – PISA, Bildungsstandards und Bildungstrends 29 — Uta-Micaela Dürig / Winfried Kneip / Dr. Jörg Dräger / Dr. Ekkehard Winter Stiftungen: Warum arbeiten Sie gerne mit der KMK zusammen? 6 — Helmut Holter 30 — Dr. Birgitta Ringbeck 68 — Anja Schöpe Weltkulturerbe – „Zukunft für unsere Vergangenheit“ Leistungsstarke Schülerinnen und Vorwort Schüler fördern 32 — Anthony Mackay 6th International Summit on the 70 — Dr. Jens-Peter Gaul / Ulrich Steinbach / Teaching Profession Uwe Gaul „Mächtiger als ein Staat: Eine gut — Ties Rabe 34 koordinierte KMK“ Gleich wertige Schulab schlüsse — Martine Reicherts — Karl-Heinz Reith — Henry Tesch 72 10 36 Europa und Erasmus+ Kulturzentrali smus oder Föderalismus? Erfahrungsbericht: Vom Schulleiter zum KMK-Präsidenten und zurück — Prof. Dr. Friedrich Hubert Esser — Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth 73 12 Interview: „Der Wurm muss dem Fisch schme- Kooperativer Bildungsföderalismus: — Detlef Ernst 38 WAS cken“ – Zur Zukunft der Beruflichen Bildung Vielfalt statt Einförmigkeit Erfahrungsberichte: Warum sind Auslandsschulen unabdingbar? — Hans Peter Wollseifer — Hans Ambühl 76 14 Die Attraktivität der Berufsbildung stärken Eine helvetische Betrachtung 40 — Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen Provenienzforschung in Deutschland — Dirk Loßack — Prof. Dr. Hans Maier
    [Show full text]
  • Germany 2020 Human Rights Report
    GERMANY 2020 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Germany is a constitutional democracy. Citizens choose their representatives periodically in free and fair multiparty elections. The lower chamber of the federal parliament (Bundestag) elects the chancellor as head of the federal government. The second legislative chamber, the Federal Council (Bundesrat), represents the 16 states at the federal level and is composed of members of the state governments. The country’s 16 states exercise considerable autonomy, including over law enforcement and education. Observers considered the national elections for the Bundestag in 2017 to have been free and fair, as were state elections in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Responsibility for internal and border security is shared by the police forces of the 16 states, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and the federal police. The states’ police forces report to their respective interior ministries; the federal police forces report to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the state offices for the protection of the constitution are responsible for gathering intelligence on threats to domestic order and other security functions. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution reports to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, and the state offices for the same function report to their respective ministries of the interior. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over security forces. Members of the security forces committed few abuses. Significant human rights issues included: crimes involving violence motivated by anti-Semitism and crimes involving violence targeting members of ethnic or religious minority groups motivated by Islamophobia or other forms of right-wing extremism.
    [Show full text]
  • TR2010/0136.01-01/001- Technical Assistance for Improved Strategic
    National Programme for Turkey 2010 under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance This project is co-financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey TR2010/0136.01-01/001- Technical Assistance for Improved Strategic Management Capacity Germany Country Report 30/01/2015 1 Table of Contents Page 1. General Information 4 1.1. Sources and Aims 4 1.2. Structural Aspects of the German State 4 1.3. Area and Population 7 1.4. GDP and Financial and Budgetary Situation 10 1.5. Main Economic and Commercial Characteristics 12 2. Government and Public Administration of the Federal Level 15 2.1. Federal Constitutional Structure (head of state, head of government, parliament, judiciary) 15 2.2. Central Bodies (chancellor, ministers) 16 2.3. Public Administration 17 2.3.1. Public Administration: employees 17 2.3.2. Public Administration: assessment and training 19 2.4. Reforms to the Structure of Government (past, in progress, planned) 22 3. Four Examples of Länder/Federal States (according to size, history, economic structure and geographic direction) 26 3.1. Baden-Württemberg - General Structure 28 3.1.1. Government and Public Administration 28 3.1.2. Reforms 30 3.2. Brandenburg - General Structure 32 3.2.1. Government and Public Administration 32 3.2.2. Reforms 33 3.3. Lower Saxony - General Structure 34 3.3.1. Government and Public Administration 35 3.3.2. Reforms 36 3.4. Saarland - General Structure 38 3.4.1. Government and Public Administration 38 3.4.2. Reforms 39 4. Strategic Planning and Public Budgeting 41 4.1.
    [Show full text]
  • 19Th-22Nd CERD-Report Germany
    Nineteenth-Twenty-second Report Submitted by the Federal Republic of Germany Under Article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination A. General section .................................................................................................... 1 B. Report on compliance with and implementation of Articles 1 to 7 of the Convention................................................................................................................ 2 I. Re Article 1 ICERD (Definition of racial discrimination) ..............................................2 II. Re Article 2 ICERD (Condemnation of racial discrimination and protection of certain ethnic groups).......................................................................................................3 1. Re Article 2 para. 1 a) and b) ICERD (Obligation of public agencies not to engage in racial discrimination)...................................................................................................... 3 2. Re Article 2 para. 1 c) ICERD (Mechanisms for reviewing procedures applied by public agencies and legislation which have the effect of racial discrimination) ............... 4 3. Re Article 2 para. 1 d) ICERD (Prohibition and elimination of racial discrimination among private individuals) ............................................................................................. 5 4. Re Article 2 para. 1 e) ICERD (Combating racism and promoting integration especially by encouraging integrationist organisations and movements)
    [Show full text]
  • The KOF Education System Factbook: Germany
    The KOF Education System Factbook: Germany Edition 1, May 2017 ETH Zurich KOF Swiss Economic Institute LEE G 116 Leonhardstrasse 21 8092 Zurich, Switzerland Phone +41 44 632 42 39 Fax +41 44 632 12 18 www.kof.ethz.ch [email protected] Table of Contents FOREWORD ....................................................................................................................... V EDITING AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................... VI 1. The German Economy and its Political System ........................................................... 1 1.1 The German Economy ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Labor Market ....................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Overview of the German Labor Market ............................................................... 3 1.2.2 The Youth Labor Market ..................................................................................... 5 1.2.3 The KOF Youth Labor Market Index (KOF YLMI) for Germany .......................... 6 1.3 The Political System .................................................................................................. 8 1.3.1 Overview of the German Political System .......................................................... 8 1.3.2 Politics and Goals of the Education System ....................................................... 9 2. Formal System of Education .......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Studying in Germany Information for Students in South Africa
    Useful Links www.daad.de www.study-in.de www.hochschulkompass.de/en www.phdgermany.de www.research-in-germany.de www.research-explorer.de www.hrk.de/activities/research-map www.academics.com www.funding-guide.de www.euraxess.de/portal/funding_in.html www.testdaf.de www.goethe.de/johannesburg www.germanyandafrica.diplo.de www.alumniportal-deutschland.org www.dw-world.de www.african-excellence.de DAAD South Africa Information Centre Johannesburg SH 3151, Third Floor, Senate House Wits University Po Box 269, Wits, 2050 Tel. + 27 (0)11 717 9334 Fax. + 27 (0)11 717 9335 Fax to email: +27 (0)86 295 3175 Studying in Germany Email: [email protected] Information for students in South Africa www.daad.de Studying in Germany Information for students in South Africa DAAD South Africa Information Centre Johannesburg 2 3 Publisher Contents DAAD South Africa SH 3151, Third Floor, Senate House Wits University Po Box 269, Wits, 2050 Tel. +27 (0)11 717 9334 Fax. +27 (0)11 717 9335 What is the DAAD? Fax to email: +27 (0)86 295 3175 Email: [email protected] www.ic.daad.de/johannesburg DAAD in South Africa Editors: Dr Ralf Hermann & Ms Kerynn Dahl Designer: Ms Kerynn Dahl Higher education & research in Germany On behalf of DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst German Academic Exchange Service Orientation and admission Kennedyallee 50, 53175 Bonn (Germany) www.daad.de Living in Germany The information contained in this brochure was compiled with greatest possible care. However a guarantee for the correctness of the contents cannot be given.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Music in European Integration Discourses on Intellectual Europe
    The Role of Music in European Integration Discourses on Intellectual Europe ALLEA ALLEuropean A cademies Published on behalf of ALLEA Series Editor: Günter Stock, President of ALLEA Volume 2 The Role of Music in European Integration Conciliating Eurocentrism and Multiculturalism Edited by Albrecht Riethmüller ISBN 978-3-11-047752-8 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-047959-1 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-047755-9 ISSN 2364-1398 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Cover: www.tagul.com Typesetting: Konvertus, Haarlem Printing: CPI books GmbH, Leck ♾ Printed on acid free paper Printed in Germany www.degruyter.com Foreword by the Series Editor There is a debate on the future of Europe that is currently in progress, and with it comes a perceived scepticism and lack of commitment towards the idea of European integration that increasingly manifests itself in politics, the media, culture and society. The question, however, remains as to what extent this report- ed scepticism truly reflects people’s opinions and feelings about Europe. We all consider it normal to cross borders within Europe, often while using the same money, as well as to take part in exchange programmes, invest in enterprises across Europe and appeal to European institutions if national regulations, for example, do not meet our expectations.
    [Show full text]
  • Between Reformstau and Modernisierung: the Reform Of
    Between Reformstau and Modernisierung: The Reform of German Federalism since Unification Gunther M. Hega Department of Political Science Western Michigan University 1903 W. Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5346 E-mail: [email protected] 1. Draft -- October 22, 2003 Please do not quote without the author’s permission Paper to be presented at the Conference on “Europeanization and Integration” EU Center of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, October 24 – 25, 2003 Abstract: Between Reformstau and Modernisierung: The Reform of German Federalism since Unification This paper examines the changes of the German federal system and the role of the 16 states (Länder) in national politics and policy-making in the Federal Republic of Germany since 1990. In particular, the study focuses on the response of the German Federal Council (Bundesrat), the chamber of the national parliament which represents the Länder, to the processes of German unification and European integration in the last decade. The paper starts from the assumption that the Federal Council has been the chief beneficiary among the Federal Republic's political institutions of the trends toward "unitary federalism" at the domestic level and a "federal Europe" at the international level. Due to the evolution of cooperative federalism with its interlocking policies, the changes in the party system and coalition politics, and, in particular, the twin processes of German unification and European integration, the Bundesrat has gained additional, special powers by assuring the inclusion of the "subsidiarity principle" in both the German Constitution (the Basic Law) and the Maastricht Treaty on European Union. The amended Article 23 of the Basic Law and the Maastricht Treaty's Article 3b strengthen the participation of the Federal Council and the 16 German states in national and European policymaking.
    [Show full text]
  • Colonial Education System in Africa: the German Experience in Cameroon 1884­1916
    Sociology Study, May 2018, Vol. 8, No. 5, 220‐231 D doi: 10.17265/2159‐5526/2018.05.003 DAVID PUBLISHING Colonial Education System in Africa: The German Experience in Cameroon 1884­1916 René Ngek Monteha Abstract In early colonial times, European scientists and politicians explained and justified the aggressive and devastating expansion of Europe to nearly every corner of the world. Africans, for example, had been dehumanized, infantilized, and bereft of history. The legacy of this colonial enterprise can still be observed in various activities of the African especially in the domain of education. The German colonial effort only began in 1884 with the scramble for Africa but was short‐lived in their stay in Africa. As a result, they implemented their own form of education in their colonies in Africa and that was the case in Cameroon. In this sphere, the German colonial authority realized that they gained strength over colonized nations not only through physical control, but also through mental control. This mental control was carried out through their education system. The German educational goal in Cameroon, like elsewhere in Africa, was to expose Africans to a superior culture with the hope that education will usher the natives into the modern world and will make them more civilized. Captured from this background, this paper, in the first segment, analyze the political objectives of the German educational system in Cameroon with emphasis on their desire to extend overseas culture to the natives. Secondly, the characteristics of this educational system in the domains of school premises, teaching style, curriculum contents, and educational organization are examined.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity Hotspots: Distribution and Protection of Conservation Priority Areas
    Biodiversity Hotspots . Frank E. Zachos l Jan Christian Habel Editors Biodiversity Hotspots Distribution and Protection of Conservation Priority Areas - - Editors Dr. habil. Jan Christian Habel Dr. habil. Frank E. Zachos Muse´e National d´Histoire Naturelle Naturhistorisches Museum Wien Luxembourg Mammal Collection 25, rue Mu¨nster Burgring 7 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg 1010 Vienna, Austria [email protected] [email protected] ISBN 978-3-642-20991-8 e-ISBN 978-3-642-20992-5 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-20992-5 Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2011936795 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover illustrations: Front cover: Coral reefs are among the most diverse habitats on the planet. The front cover photograph was taken by Jonas Thormar in the Red Sea and shows a bombora, or isolated piece of reef, near Eilat, Israel.
    [Show full text]