Marine science and technology
at the University of Bremen:
Aims and perspectives of the new
Ocean Margins Research Center

Volker Ratmeyer, Ph.D.
University of Bremen

Tuesday, October 30, 2001
3:00 p.m.–Pacific Forum

A brief overview of marine research activities and developments at the University of Bremen will be given.

With the establishment (in July 2001) of a new center for studying ocean margins, Bremen University confirms its identity as a leading international institute for planning and carrying out interdisciplinary marine science research. The new research facility has long term funding from the German Science Foundation (DFG) and has four main research areas:

Paleoenvironment
Biogeochemical Processes
Sedimentation Processes
Use Impact Research

Ocean margins are the transitional zones between oceans and continents where most of the sediments derived from the land are deposited. The effective processes here are influenced by a variety of steering mechanisms, including mountain building and climate on the land as well as tectonics and sea-level fluctuations at the margins of the seas. These areas are of great importance for the global biogeochemical cycles because, although they make up only about 20% of the ocean’s surface area, 50% of the global marine production takes place here. Compared to open ocean regions, the ocean margin systems are significantly more dynamic. The study of these systems has become the center of scientific interest at many levels.