TropEcS Symposium

When: 22.09.2025 – 25.09.2025

Host: Prof. Dr. Raimund Bleischwitz

Contact: Dr. Julian Lilkendey | Email: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein.

The TropEcS Symposium brings together international experts in Earth System Modelling (ESM) to address a growing scientific challenge: how to better represent tropical coastal ecosystems in comprehensive climate and Earth system frameworks. Supported by new funding from state and federal governments, ZMT is expanding its modelling capacities and seeks to position itself at the forefront of this effort.

Over three days, participants will evaluate existing ESM platforms, identify key socio-ecological processes to be integrated, and define modelling strategies relevant to coastal dynamics, biosphere interactions, and human dimensions. The symposium will foster collaborations with leading research institutions worldwide and initiate a shared scientific agenda for TropEcS.

Catalyst Talk: Bjorn Stevens (Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology, Germany)

Keynote: Julia Moriarty (University of Colorado Boulder, USA)
Keynote: Edward Gross (Resource Management Associates, USA)

ZMT will prepare a background paper ahead of the symposium. Speakers and participants will be invited to contribute to a collaborative perspective defining long-term priorities for modelling tropical coasts.

Schedule Highlights:

• 22.09. Icebreaker – Networking reception at Universum® Bremen.
• 23.09. Pros and Cons of Existing Models – A comparative review of global and regional Earth System Models, focusing on model architecture, scalability, and their capacity to represent tropical coastal systems.
• 24.09. Coupling Components – Identifying key components to integrate—ocean, atmosphere, land, ecosystems, and biogeochemistry—with emphasis on TropEcS priorities: coastal dynamics, land-sea fluxes, biosphere interactions, and marine food systems.
• 25.09. Spatio-Temporal Scales and Socio-Economic Perspectives – Determining appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. Integrating socio-economic processes, collaborative governance structures, and technological infrastructure.