ZMT - Leibniz Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung

In January 2018, the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen launched a new marine conservation project as part of the long-standing climate partnership between Bremen and the South African city of Durban. The aim of the project "Bremen-Durban Marine Environmental Education Network“ (MEEN) is to impart comprehensive knowledge on marine conservation to young people through workshops.

These "Ocean Champs" pass on their newly acquired know-how to their communities in order to raise public awareness of the importance of marine conservation. As part of the climate partnership between Bremen and Durban (South Africa), the ZMT advises the City of Bremen in the fields of climate change, sustainability and marine conservation, and trains local actors and young people.

The MEEN project focuses in particular on marine pollution caused by plastic waste and the input of nutrients and pollutants. The brochure "Marine Plastic Pollution“ produced as part of the project, introduces teachers from Bremen and Durban to the topic and provides an overview of teaching and learning materials that can be used in school lessons. The "Bremen-Durban Marine Environmental Education Network“ (MEEN) is supported by the Service Agency "Communities in One World (SKEW)" and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

From Bremen's side, the Senator for Environment, Construction and Transport as well as the Senator for Children and Education of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND) Bremen, the Leibniz Centre for Marine Tropical Research (ZMT) and the University of Bremen support the project with their expertise.