© D. Henkel

Future Forum Ocean

The Future Forum Ocean (FFO) is a joint body of the marine research community in Germany with the aim of discussing and developing forward-looking overarching scientific and research strategy issues in this field as a forum.

Against the background of the disciplinary range of tasks and functions of the actors in German marine research, the FFO works on overarching and future issues. These should have a high social relevance in relation to the ocean and the coastal sea, as well as address basic and applied research priorities in Germany and Europe.

The science-driven work of the FFO makes it easier to jointly and visibly represent the interests of marine research in Germany to national decision-makers, the European Union and the public. The FFO actively contributes the resulting perspectives to the prioritisation and design of funding programmes and helps to coordinate German contributions to international activities.

The FFO is supported by the breadth of German marine research and staffed by elected, independent experts with temporary mandates to develop creative ideas and contribute interdisciplinary expertise.

The members of the FFO have been appointed by over twenty organisations, including universities, authorities, research institutes and museums, as representatives of the German marine research community. They represent the outstanding expertise and broad diversity of German marine research, both scientifically and personally.

How does the Future Forum work?

The Future Forum Ocean aims at a broad range of strategic activities related to ocean and coastal research.

The members of the Future Forum Ocean propose thematic focal points, which are prioritised in consultation with all members. From these, interdisciplinary working groups develop concrete products.

The Future Forum Ocean deals with the following tasks in the form of discussions, comments, strategy papers or memoranda:

  • Integrative future topics of marine research  
  • Basic and applied issues of interdisciplinary marine research with a focus on strategic and funding policy perspectives in marine research.  
  • Strategic orientation and structure of German marine research 
  • Intensification of cooperation within German marine research including the development of joint research activities  
  • Intensification of cooperation within European and international marine research

WORKING FIELDS

Source: Knut Troim, Unsplash
Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research

Lead: Tanja Bogusz and Moritz Holtappels

The crisis-ridden regional and global human-ocean interactions require collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary research. Strategies for action to better promote this must be developed and networks and forums expanded.

Report

German Ocean Science Opportunities (GOSO)

Lead: Johannes Karstensen and Heike Link

Evaluation of the status of co-operation and funding as well as the identification of potential for future-oriented, innovative and sustainable development within German marine research.

REPORT (in German)

Source: Mikkel Jonck Schmidt, Unsplash
Attractiveness and prospects of academic careers in the marine sciences (ECR_Ocean)

Lead: Hans Burchard and Alice Lefebvre

Proposals for new paths and structures that lead to a future-oriented and sustainable development of German marine research, as well as the evaluation of the status of co-operation and funding of German marine research.

Research infrastructure for observing the sea: needs and visions (MareObs4all)

Lead: Leif Christensen and Johannes Karstensen

Utilisation and operation of German research infrastructure (RI) is a complex field. Although good and established solutions exist for research vessels and “large-scale equipment”, the conditions of use for many RI components are complicated. A growing need for networking RI components for more comprehensive observation of the ocean and the integration of RI in European and international consortia (e.g. ERIC, AISBL) require an inventory of German RI.

Source: FONA
Perspectives of the MARE:N programme

Lead: Martin Visbeck

Development of an impulse paper on the significance of the MARE:N research programme from the perspective of German marine research.

Completed

Source: R. Krone
Das Forschungsschiff Heincke im Einsatz |
German research fleet

Successful drafting of the position paper “Perspectives for the German research fleet with a focus on medium-sized ships from a scientific perspective”.

Members

Alumni 2020-2022

  • Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bohrmann MARUM Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften und Fachbereich Geowissenschaften an der Uni Bremen
  • Prof. Dr. Julia Gottschalk Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
  • Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg und Helmholtz Institut für Funktionelle Marine Biodiversität
  • Prof. Dr. Jochem Marotzke Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie
  • Dr. Hanieh Saeedi Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum
  • Prof. Dr. Torsten Schlurmann Forschungszentrum Küste, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Prof. Dr. Martin Visbeck GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel
  • Prof. Dr. Karen Wiltshire Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
  • Prof. Dr. Oliver Zielinski Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde

DAM-Newsletter

Always up to date with the DAM newsletter. (German only)

Our Sponsors

The federal government and the governments of the five northern German states support the current development and sponsor the DAM.