10 Annual Report Understanding the ocean sustaining our future Editorial Annual Report 3 Dear Friends of The Future Ocean, We are excited to be able to share with you the Proelß, the leader of the law of the sea group the first comprehensive assessment of “ocean fourth annual report of the Cluster of Excellence has decided to move on to a very prestigious issues” written in layman’s language (see page “The Future Ocean”. 2010 has been an exciting position at another university in Germany. We 84) sparked interest in both political and educa- and productive year for all of us – and we have wish him well for his new challenges and hope tional spheres. compiled some highlights of our activities for to remain in touch. We hope that these highlights and other infor- you in this report. The cluster platform concept is gaining mation in this report inspire you and transfer the The publication output in the Cluster is traction and in particular the Integrated School spirit of Kiel Marine Science to you and beyond. constantly growing, and – as hoped – it is of Ocean Sciences has grown beyond expecta- producing exciting interdisciplinary marine tions. More than 100 PhD students are taking Sincerely, science results. We have legal experts publi- advantage of the multidisciplinary educational shing in Nature Geoscience (see page 46), framework. An impressive number of courses, economists publishing in fishery journals (see seminars and career support activities were page 34), and natural scientists publishing offered to all Marine Science doctoral students. in economics periodicals. We are proud and Other highlights of 2010 include Future Ocean satisfied that the Kiel Marine Science interdis- exhibition activities – the major five month ciplinary approach is working and delivering on long exhibition at the Deutsches Museum in its promise. But success creates challenges. As Munich and at the Paul Loebe Haus (house of expected, several of our junior research group parliament) in Berlin (see page 64). During late leaders received job offers from other univer- summer, the biannual Future Ocean Symposium Martin Visbeck sities in 2010. While most of them could be attracted more than 350 researchers to Kiel (see convinced to stay in Kiel and continue to be part page 86), and finally the publication, together Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence of our unique research infrastructure, Alexander with our partners, of the World Ocean Review, “The Future Ocean” 4 06 20 60 88 Table of Contents Annual Report 5 Table of Contents About the Future Ocean 08 Research Themes 10 2010 – the Year for The Future Ocean 12 Project Statistics 14 The Project Equal Opportunity 18 Ocean Acidification 22 Marine Medicine 36 Seafloor Warming 24 Seafloor Resources 38 Oceanic CO2 -Uptake 26 Submarine Hazards 40 Ocean Circulation 28 Sea Level Rise and Coastal Erosion 42 Sea -Surface Chemistry 30 Coastal Risks and Sea Level Rise 44 Valuing the Ocean 32 International Law of the Sea 46 The Research Fisheries and Overfishing 34 Selected Projects 48 Public Outreach and Knowledge Transfer 62 Prepared for Social Responsibility? 76 The Exhibition “Future Ocean” 64 PhD Miniproposals 77 Public Outreach – School Programs 66 Learning From Each Other 78 Kiel Data Management 68 Research in Japan 80 Transfer to Application 70 Internationalization 82 Algae of the Future 72 EcoOcean 83 Integrated School of Ocean Sciences 73 Scientific Assessments 84 The Services Making Science Comprehensible 74 3rd Biannual Symposium 86 Members 90 Selected Publications 92 Panel Memberships 104 Funded Cluster Projects 105 The Appendix Picture Credits, Office, Imprint 108 The Project It is hard work, but there is happiness in it. Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata 8 Annual Report About the Future Ocean About the Future Ocean Motivation The ocean hosts our planet’s largest within the framework of the Excellence Initiative fast track funding concept, where money for ecosystem, helps regulate the composition of by the German federal and state governments. start-up proposals, travel, conferences, and the atmosphere and global climate, and provides The visions formulated in the proposal have funds to invite renowned colleagues to Kiel can mankind with essential living and non-living since deeply affected research, university struc- be applied for and granted quickly with little resources. Coastal regions are home to the tures, administration and science management additional administrative work. majority of the world’s population and the open in Kiel and demonstrated the firm commitment The junior research groups started operating seas are key to global trade and security as well of the university and its partners to advance to as group leaders were hired between summer as a source of major natural hazards. In short, a new, modern level of science organization in 2007 and spring 2008. During 2008 the groups the global ocean is vital for human welfare now Kiel. This commitment prevails, manifested in successfully hired most of the required support and will be in the future. But mankind is altering the many activities that have been directed to personnel and began work on their related the oceans in ways both direct and indirect and implement the envisioned research framework. scientific questions. Since then the groups have on a global scale. The alteration started with To enhance the existing research environment settled in to working and 2009 and 2010 saw fishing which has already drastically changed the Future Ocean comprises several compo- further slower growth and significant fluctu- the global marine ecosystem. Human impact nents intertwined with each other that form ation within the groups. As a result the publi- now extends from regional changes, such as a structure allowing scientists to perform at cation record is steadily increasing and the alteration of coastal and deep sea habitats, to their best. The Future Ocean is designed around Future Ocean is now demonstrating its strength global scale impact on marine life, ocean circu- funding instruments promoting research in working at the forefront of scientific develop- lation and carbon cycling through emission of marine and related science in Kiel. The core of ments, preparing answers to some crucial CO2 and other pollutants. this structure comprises thirteen new junior questions of tomorrow. More than 57 projects The Future Ocean therefore manifests the research groups, all working at the interface from past proposal calls issued between late recognition of mankind’s increasing depen- between traditional scientific disciplines. 2006 and 2009 have now been completed and dency on the ocean in the context of our incre- These groups are bridging traditional marine have delivered their reports. These projects asing power to alter it. These two factors imply sciences with its aspects in biology, chemistry, typically run for two years, many lead to new a need to understand our environment in order physics, geology, and previously only distantly follow-up projects and external funding, many to be able to predict and manage it. They also related subjects such as economics, medicine, of them result in very interesting scientific imply a need to educate the next generation to law, molecular biology and computer science. findings. Most projects funded during the be aware of the need for responsible and sustai- Four research platforms were established to proposal round in 2009 are still continuing into nable use of the ocean. We need tools to be able support all researchers with the technical infra- 2011. The number of active projects shrank to to decide, whether to adapt to, or to mitigate the structure needed to deliver world class results. about 20 at the end of 2010 (see the list of active changes that we have already set in motion. In addition the Future Ocean issues its own projects in the appendix), but new project calls scientific proposal calls in order to be able to are already in the pipeline for 2011 to maintain a Implementation quickly respond to the latest scientific develop- continuous research landscape. The Future Ocean was initially funded in fall ments in the most flexible way. These proposals The Future Ocean up to now has initiated a 2006, in response to a general call for proposals are externally reviewed to ensure the highest tremendous array of large and small initiatives by the German Research Foundation (DFG) quality in science. Finally, the project fosters a of inter- and transdisciplinary nature, creating Structural Elements of the Future Ocean The thirteen Junior Research Groups The platform concept consolidates The Integrated School of Ocean Science form the scientific core of “The Future certain types of technical infrastructure supports graduate students with suple- Ocean”. These newly established groups under a single roof, enabling researchers mentary training, a superision framework, are funded to investigate bridging topics to access available and needed instru- mentoring and mobility. Students prepare between classical disciplines. They are ments easily. for life after PhD. equipped with sufficient funds to support whole working groups for up to 6 years. Research projects, travel, visitors and The public outreach project promotes The JRG leaders hold professorships conferences can be funded through a fast marine sciences to the general public, but which have a tenure option. track internal proposal process. Project also fosters exchange of internal informa- proposals undergo an external review tion within the Future Ocean. process before funding. About the Future Ocean Annual Report 9 a positive forward orientated spirit of curiosity in Kiel’s research landscape. This is visible not only at Christian-Albrechts University, but also at the partner institutions IFM-GEOMAR, the Institute for the World Economy (IfW) and the Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts and Design. The Future Ocean is guided by the underlying principle of providing the most effective service and infrastructure to support marine science in developing a thorough understanding of the Figure 1 future of our oceans.