ZMT - Leibniz Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung

1.3.17 | Bernhard Kegel presented his new German novel "Abgrund“ on March 2, 2017 with a reading and a panel discussion at Universum® Bremen – the event was a collaboration between the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), „Fiction Meets Science“ and Kegel's publishing house "mareverlag".

The Galapagos archipelago is the backdrop for Bernhard Kegel’s latest story about the fascination and the abyss of biological research: Scientists at the Charles Darwin research station observe the mysterious emergence of new hybrids whilst also baring witness to the dramatic effects of climate change for corals. Meanwhile, the daily working lives of the researchers are also subject to the passion, anxiety and hopes of the islanders. “Abgrund” not only discovers scientific secrets – with great skill and craftsmanship Bernhard Kegel also portrays the psychological field of tension that the marine researchers move in.

“Abgrund” was published by Hamburg-based imprint mareverlag on February 28. In preparation for his new novel Bernhard Kegel accompanied a team of researchers from the Leibniz Centre of Tropical Marine Research in Bremen on an expedition to Galapagos. The archipelago’s marine ecosystems are subject to particular environmental conditions and are an ideal region to study how the effects of climate change and ocean acidification take their toll. Kegel’s journey was made possible by the initiative “Fiction Meets Science” ( FMS) which allows writers an insight into the daily life of researchers. For Kegel the expedition “was essential for being able to work on my new novel”.

Kegel’s new book is the first belletristic publication which has been released in the framework of “Fiction Meets Science”. FSM is a research and fellowship programme which is supported by the Volkswagen Foundation and coordinated by the universities of Bremen and Oldenburg, the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg and scientific institutes such as the ZMT. It offers an opportunity for select writers to investigate the research backdrop of their new novels in close collaboration with respective research institutes. As first FMS writer in residence Bernhard Kegel chose the ZMT as a partner and accompanied its scientists on expedition to Aqaba, Jordan, to the Red Sea and the Galapagos Islands.

Bernhard Kegel (born 1953) holds a doctorate in biology and is an award-winning author of novels and non-fiction. He has been honoured with the “Inge und Werner Grüter Prize für Wissenschaftspublizistik”. mareverlag has published two novel about Kiel-based biology professor Hermann Pauli: “Der Rote” (2007) and “Ein tiefer Fall” (2012). Bernhard Kegel lives in Brandenburg and Berlin with his family.