Marine research : programme of the German Federal Government.

  • Germany. Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie
Date:
[1993]
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Marine research : programme of the German Federal Government. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I. Introduction and Summary 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans which contain 98 percent of the Earth’s total free water volume. There are still major gaps in our knowledge about this ecosystem, which is the largest of all. Even today, many parts of the ocean are still white spots on our knowledge map, although the oceans — along with the atmosphere — play a key role in the Earth’s climate and balance of re- sources. In addition, they are a ttemendous source of mineral and living resources. While near-shore marine regions account for only about 10 percent of the total ocean surface area, they are our most important food reservoir: 99 percent of the fish caught worldwide comes from these coastal waters. In addition, near-shore marine regions are also important habitats and recreational areas: 70 percent of the world’s population live in coastal regions. The oceans and their shore-lines are af- fected by a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic factors, which often exposes them to latent or acute threats. Climate changes, which are potentially caused by the man-made greenhouse ef- fect, can also provoke changes in the ocean’s regulation system (e.g. absorbtion, storage and release of climatically active gases as well as heat; repercussions of chemico-biological processes on the climate). Global climate change can have a direct impact on the sea level, and hence, on the shore-lines and the adjacent sea. However: The role of the ocean in the climate system is not yet fully understood. It is uncertain what effects climate change will have on the ocean and what changes in the oceanic system will affect the climate. Furthermore, it is not poss- ible to this day to qualify and quantify the mechanisms of carbon transport and storage in the atmosphere, the ocean and the ocean floor, and of carbon exchange between these compartments, with such accuracy that these data could be used as a basis for making reliable predictions of future CO, concentrations and their ef- fects. In some areas, the condition of the ecosystem ''ocean is alarming. While the open sea still seems to be relatively unaffected, the coastal regions and the ad- jacent sea are already considerably polluted by atmospheric depositions and direct discharges or inflows from rivers. In addition, submarine waste disposal sites (e.g. chemical warfare ammunition, radioactive waste) are a source of latent and even acute risks. However: To this day, there are no adequate means to describe the transport channels, the risks and hence the effects of creeping pollution. Fur- thermore, there are only limited possibilities for distinguishing between man- made effects on the marine environment on the one hand, and natural factors and changes on the other. Although the use of marine resources has so far been limited to very few prod- ucts, it still involves considerable risks, in some cases producing adverse effects
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