Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

Discover and protect coral reefs: #ZMT developed an escape game for students, researchers and the public. Teams solve reef-related challenges and learn how science, society and conservation work together. Read more: www.leibniz-zmt.de/en/news-at-z...

Our colleague Rebecca Lahl, Head of the Knowledge Exchange Office, spoke with @reset.org about the potential of biodegradable plastics for our marine litter problem. #ZMT
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Plankton is crucial for the climate - but marine research is expensive & often far removed from the public eye. How can we encourage greater participation? Leonie Dziomba presented her research on this topic at “Wissen um 11” at Haus der Wissenschaft in Bremen.More: leibniz-zmt.de #ZMT

Prof. Dr. Marie Fujitani has been appointed Professor of Human Geography at the Uni Bremen. Based at ZMT, she advances sustainability transformations in tropical coastal regions, working closely with communities & policymakers on tourism, fisheries, & aquaculture. Congratulations Marie! © jan meier

The 7th ZMT Annual Conference (ZAC) took place last week, combining poster presentations with new formats in 2026. Highlights included a Research Data Service icebreaker and the session “Failing Forward” on learning from research challenges. #ZMT #ZAC #LeibnizGemeinschaft #ScientificExchange

Tomorrow, 5.2. at 20:30 (CET), our colleague Tim Jennerjahn will speak at Science for the Living Room (Wissenschaft fürs Wohnzimmer) about the Source-to-Sea approach to sustainable water management & why land and ocean must be considered together. Includes also a live Q&A. #ZMT #AWIs4Future

How do corals feed? The energy suply from ingested food has been underestimated. Corals gain energy through photosynthesis and plankton. A study by Connor Love & #ZMT highlights this for reef resilience under climate change. © Marleen Stuhr & ZMT

The new #NeNo network is committed to protecting the North Sea. ZMT doctoral student Wiebke Homes is working with partners to protect porpoises and promote healthy marine ecosystems. © Schutzstation Wattenmeer

Last week, we introduced 12th-grade students from Kurt-Schumacher-Allee School to "research with smartphones" using current mangrove studies. Many thanks to all participants & colleagues for their great support! #ZMT #Mangroves #STEM #ScienceEducation #LeibnizCommunity #CoastalResearch

On Tuesday, 4 Nov at 5 p.m., the Haus der Wissenschaft opens its new exhibition on Bremen’s scientific landscape. The ZMT contributes a coral reef simulation model that illustrates how small environmental changes can have major impacts on marine ecosystems. #ZMT #HausderWissenschaft #BremenScience

ZMT’s latest newsletter dives deep – from the Swatch of No Ground in #Bangladesh to #Bremen, where we launched #TropEcS to connect tropical coastal research with global Earth System Models. Link: www.leibniz-zmt.de/en/news-at-z... Sign up to #ZMT newsletter at: dialog.leibniz-zmt.de/-optin-form/...

#wearehiring Students can complete their mandatory internship in the Office for Knowledge Exchange (OKE) at ZMT and gain insights into how science interacts with society and policy. #ZMT #ScienceCommunication #Internship #KnowledgeExchange #MarineResearch

At this year’s Windsurf World Cup on #Sylt, our colleague Wiebke Homes joined the LEBENSWERT Sustainability Tent to raise awareness for harbour porpoise protection. Visitors explored #ZMT’s VR coral reef game & tested new eDNA tools from the #CREATE project. @leibniz-gemeinschaft.de #ZMT

According to current Stanford- #Elsevier database, several researchers at #ZMT are among the top 2% most cited scientists worldwide. Ioannidis, J.P.A., 2025. August 2025 data-update for “Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators.” Elsevier. DOI: 10.17632/btchxktzyw.

#wearehiring

Estradivari from #ZMT published a Nature commentary on #MPAs. 90 % allow fishing; 1/3 even destructive. UN High Seas Treaty 2026 is a chance for real protection. Fishing must follow standards that safeguard biodiversity. © Imaniar Pratiwi/PADMI Foundation #MPAs #OceanProtection #ZMT

Our colleague Moise Leance Sagbohan presented ZMT’s research on climate change and biodiversity at a workshop in Brazil, focusing on Amazonian countries’ vulnerability and readiness. The event led to a collaborative open letter to #COP30. Thanks to all involved! #ZMT

The 5th anniversary of the Climate Festival in Neue Vahr was a great opportunity to connect with the local community. Our colleague Achim Meyer represented Hashtag#ZMT and met Kathrin Moosdorf, Die Senatorin für Umwelt, Klima und Wissenschaft, who gave a welcoming speech. #ZMT #ClimateAction

Day 2 @ #TropEcS-Symposium – Coupling Components: How to link ocean, atmosphere, land, ecosystems & biogeochemistry in Earth system models? Talks on coastal dynamics, land-sea fluxes, biosphere interactions & food webs showed the need for connected modelling. #TropEcS2025 #ZMT

The #TropEcS Symposium brings together 100+ experts, early career researchers & partners from Germany and the tropics to explore how to better integrate tropical coasts into Earth system models - key for climate insights & policy. More: zac.leibniz-zmt.de/tropecs/ #ZMT #TropEcS

Congratulations to Dr. Lucy Atieno on her PhD defense at ZMT! Her work on tourism, gender & climate change on Kenya’s coast highlights why local and gendered voices must guide just, sustainable coastal futures. Wishing her all the best! #ZMT #PhDDefense #MarineScience #CoastalTourism

Twelve participants train at ZMT’s Scientific Diving Course, learning scientific diving skills. Trainee Konrad: „Rather take your time, before rushing into it. Be quick, but don’t hurry. “ Graduates are certified as “German Scientific Diver” and “European Scientific Diver.” #ZMT #ScientificDiving

UN ‘high seas’ treaty clears ratification threshold, to enter into force in January A landmark UN treaty to safeguard marine biodiversity on the high seas has now met the required 60 ratifications for entry into force, clearing the way for it to take effect in January 2026.

📢 Great news about the High Seas Treaty now ratified and entering into force in January. #BBNJ 👍👏🎉
🔗 news.un.org/en/story/202...

A small tropical fish with a brown and white striped body, blue spots on its face, and yellow fins swims among branching coral. The coral is light brown with fuzzy polyps and fills the foreground, while the background is dark, highlighting the fish’s colors.

🔬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬
An international team led by ZMT analysed 335 genomes of Caribbean hamlet fishes. Only one gene showed a clear link to differences between species. It's active in skin, eyes, and brain & may be tied to colour patterns and mate choice.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Happy to share that out doctoral candidate Leonie Dziomba is featured as part of the Leibniz Association’s anniversary series “30 at around 30”. Thanks to our colleagues at Leibniz for making this happen. We hope you enjoy reading the interview 👇👇👇🤩🤩🤩

The first #CREATE report in @allianz-meer.bsky.social #sustainMare examines governance effectiveness of the Whale Sanctuary in the German North Sea for harbour porpoise conservation, revealing strengths, weaknesses & policy recommendations. #ZMT ZMT #MarineConservation #Schweinswal

360 Coral Reefs – Life Below the Surface by The Jetlagged, originally created with ZMT for a research project, was later reworked into a FullDome version. The film won the Ocean Dome Award 2025 in Kiel and immersed thousands in reef life. #ZMT

Das sagt unser Wissenschaftlicher Geschäftsführer Prof. Dr. Raimund Bleischwitz zum weiteren Vorgehen: „Wichtig ist jetzt eine Verständigung mit China und Indonesien …“ – das vollständige Statement im Artikel:👇 #ZMT

ZMT joined the GEWOBA #CityTriathlon Bremen with five teams and two individuals. A day of swimming, cycling, and running focused on shared experiences, variety, and team spirit. #ZMT #CityTriathlon #Bremen #Teamwork #GEWOBA

From 28 July to 8 August, IOI Germany, ZMT, University of Bremen & IPB University held their first joint summer course in Bogor and online. Participants co-designed solutions for real marine & coastal challenges with international experts.
#ZMT #MarineResearch #Transdisciplinarity #OceanPolicy