ZMT - Leibniz Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung

24.2.17 | This week the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) welcomed the President of the Leibniz Association in Bremen. Professor Matthias Kleiner spent the afternoon at ZMT and got a wide-ranging insight into the research and the infrastructure of the institute.

At the centre of his visit, however, were the people of ZMT. Scientists as well as members of staff from laboratories and administration chatted to their President.

A lively science slam by ZMT post docs tackled a diverse range of topics from sealevel rise, modelling of coral reefs to sustainable fishery and behaviour of reef fishes.

The management of ZMT gave an account of their vision for ZMT with digitalisation playing an increasingly important role.

Matthias Kleiner held an impromptu speach stressing the community concept of the Leibniz Association and its power for innovation. He underlined the necessity of excellence and relevance in research as well as the much needed transfer of excellent research to application. In that respect cooperative science was of great importance and a special characteristic of the 91 Leibniz institutes, which Professor Kleiner compared to an orchestra playing in different compositions whilst each instititue had a very distinct vision.

After a walk through the marine experimental ecology lab (MAREE) and a visit to the mangrove cultivation at ZMT an spontaneous discussion about the future of science with President Kleiner an ZMT researchers from different working groups rounded off a great afternoon.