15/11/2019 | On November 14, Dr. Claudia Schilling, Senator for Science and Ports, and State Councillor Tim Cordßen visited the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT). They were accompanied by Dr. Volker Saß, Head of Research Promotion, and Timo Joost, Head of Office.
The first visit of the Senator at the ZMT was marked by an intensive exchange and exciting discussions, not only on current research issues such as the pollution of the oceans by plastic waste or the effects of climate change in tropical coastal regions, but also on ideas for the future in the areas of digitization and research data management.
Scientific Director Prof. Dr. Hildegard Westphal first presented the activities of the institute in research and teaching – both in the state of Bremen and in ZMT's tropical partner countries. For more than 25 years, the ZMT has been studiying tropical and subtropical coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows and their significance for nature and people. In addition to research, the instituts focuses on capacity development and consulting – always in close cooperation with international and national partners.
Dr. Nicolas Dittert, Commercial Director of the ZMT, used the management of research data as an example to explain what such a cooperation could look like and reported on the establishment of a research cooperation between South America, Europe and Germany as part of an EU-funded project.
The presentation by Prof. Dr. Martin Zimmer dealt with mangrove research at the ZMT and the global, regional and local significance of these ecosystems. The mangrove ecologist focused in particular on new concepts for the protection and restoration of mangrove forests.
Prof. Dr. Nils Moosdorf then took up the topic of digitisation in relation to research data and presented projects of the institute dealing with this current challenge in research and society.
Finally, the guests went on a guided tour through the marine exprimental ecology (MAREE), where Silvia Hardenberg explained the various functions of the aquaria and the current studies in the field of aquaculture, among others.
Contacts 
Working Groups