Mapping German Ocean Science

Germany Ranks Second in European Marine Research – New Report Maps German Marine Sciences

The Zukunftsforum Ozean (ZFO), supported by the Consortium for German Marine Research (KDM) and the German Alliance for Marine Research (DAM), has presented the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of German marine research for the years 2012 to 2022.

With over 79,000 publications, Germany ranks second in Europe—behind the United Kingdom. German publications were rated with an above-average citation index (ARC = 1.38), indicating significant international influence. Key focus areas included the Ocean & Climate, marine ecosystems, and Blue Growth.

Sixty-eight percent of German publications resulted from international collaboration. The closest collaborations are with Austria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; globally, the United States and Japan are the most important partners.

Action is needed regarding gender equality: Women accounted for only 28.4 percent of first authorships and 16.5 percent of last authorships—one of the lowest rates in Europe.

The analysis is based on data from the Scopus database, compiled by Science-Metrix (Elsevier). The authors view the report as a starting point for further research and strategy development.