The GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), formerly known as the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (
German: Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften, IFM-GEOMAR), is a research institute in
Kiel, Germany. It was formed in 2004 by merging the Institute for Marine Science (
Institut für Meereskunde Kiel, (IFM)) with the Research Center for Marine Geosciences (GEOMAR) and is co-funded by both federal and provincial governments.[4] It was a member of the
Leibniz Association until 2012 and is coordinator of the
FishBase Consortium.[2] Since 2012 it is member of the
Helmholtz Association and named GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The institute operates worldwide in all ocean basins,[4] specialising in climate dynamics, marine ecology and biogeochemistry, and ocean floor dynamics and circulation.[5] GEOMAR offers degree courses in affiliation with the
University of Kiel,[3] and operates the Kiel Aquarium[6] and the Lithothek, a repository for split sediment core samples.[7]
Research divisions
GEOMAR is structured into four research divisions:[8]
Ocean circulation and climate dynamics: This division, led by Katja Matthes and
Mojib Latif,[9] investigates climate from different time perspectives, with computer simulations and ocean current models that include meteorological, geological and oceanographic considerations. Current ocean measurements are made from research vessels at sea, and include the use of
remote sensing.[10]
Marine biogeochemistry: Work in this division looks at the way the components of the marine
biogeochemical processes interact with each other. These components include the material in the atmosphere, the sediment and oceanic reservoirs, and the biological organisms including humans. Particular attention is paid to the atmosphere/ocean interface and the sediment/ocean interface, as well as to elements and compounds which can cycle and cause
radiative forcing. Research ranges from the atmosphere over the ocean, through the ocean
surface layer into the
water column, and then down to the
marine sediments and the
oceanic crust.
Field work is also undertakes, as well as laboratory and
mesocosm studies. The division also develops biological, chemical and isotope diagnostic tools for measuring
proxy variables.[11]
Marine ecology: This division, led by Ulrich Sommer, aims to "understand the sensitivity of
marine ecosystems to
anthropogenic and natural changes, with a mid-term focus on climate change and
overexploitation of marine bio-resources." It is important to understand how much stress a given ecosystem can absorb before structural shifts occur. When a shift does occur, it is necessary to understand how this will impact the ecosystem populations and the degree to which the shift can be reversed. Structural shifts can result in invasions by harmful organisms, species collapse and a radical reconfiguring of the
biogeochemical cycles. Traditional approaches group species broadly into size classes and
trophic levels measured by
productivity or
biomass. But to understand how ecosystems react to natural and anthropogenic stressors, specific differences in the way individual species react must also be understood, particularly where
keystone species are involved. Research within this division range from genes to ecosystems, including the "
ecophysiology of key species and its genetic basis, dynamics and genetics of individual populations and of communities, interactions within and among species, structure and response of entire
food webs."[12]
Dynamics of the ocean floor: Research is focused on "processes that shape the
oceanic lithosphere, and the impact of these processes on the environment, e.g. climate and natural hazards. These research themes are pursued in the three main
geotectonic settings: divergent and
convergent margins and in intraplate regions. These three settings represent critical stages in the life-cycle of the
ocean floor. The
ocean basins are created by the
rifting apart of continents.
Oceanic lithosphere then forms at
mid-ocean ridges. It is subsequently modified by low and high temperature interactions with the overlying oceans, the addition of intraplate
magmas, the deposition of
marine sediments, and tectonic processes occurring at or near
transform and
convergent plate margins. When it
subducts at convergent margins, the dehydration of the plate induces
arc volcanism that creates and modifies the
continental crust and transfers climate-relevant volatiles into the atmosphere. Such
continental margins are sites of sediment accumulation, fluid exchange, important resources and major geo-hazards."[13]
Research fleet
GEOMAR operates two open ocean
research vessels: the 36-year-old RV Poseidon (1050
GT)[14] and the 20-year-old RV Alkor (1000 GT).[15] In 2009, both vessels were refurbished and modernised.[16] It also operates the research cutter, RC Littorina (168 GT)[17] and the research boat, RB Polarfuchs (16 GT).[18] In addition it operates JAGO, a three-ton research
submersible, the only manned research submersible in Germany,[4][19][20] capable of diving to 400 metres,[21] as well as a
remotely operated underwater vehicle,
ROV KIEL 6000 capable of diving to 6,000 metres,[22] an
autonomous underwater vehicle,
AUV ABYSS,[23] and a video-controlled hydraulic grab, TV-Grab.[24] At the end of 2010, the institute took possession of
ROV PHOCA, a new 1.5 ton ROV with an operational working depth of 3000 metres.[25]