News from the Alfred Wegener Institute
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The Alfred Wegener Institute at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai
With a remarkable number of 350,000 visitors the EXPO 2010 was opened in Shanghai on the 1st of May. Under the overall theme of "Sharing a Vision", companies and scientific institutions from Bremen, Bremerhaven and Oldenburg present their contributions to sustainable mobility, renewable energy and climate research in the so called "Urban Best Practices Area". The Alfred Wegener Institute participates as one of 9 scientific institutions from the North-West of Germany and highlights climate related research in the polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic. For more information see Bremen´s EXPO 2010 webpage.
Cooperation with University of applied sciences proves award-winning
This year the "Verein zur Förderung der Hochschule Bremerhaven e.V." awarded two theses of graduates that were supported within the coorpeation between the University of applied sciences and AWI and IMARE. The engagement of the cooperation professors in the bachelor study course Marine Technology and in the master course in Biotechnology crosslinks research at AWI and IMARE and serves a better imbedding of the university in applied marine sciences. Andreas Kulakowski won the first price in the Bachelor-category. His thesis, accompanied by cooperation professor Bela Buck, showed how a reactor of microalgae can be integrated in the recycling of waste water from aquaculture of sea bass. In the Master-category Heike Gruber won the second price having submitted a thesis on genetic transformation of the microalga Emiliania huxleyi, accompanied by Dr. Klais Valentin (AWI) and cooperation professor Stephan Frickenhaus.
Prof. Dr. Jelle Bijma receives Union Service Award 2010 by EGU
Prof. Dr. Jelle Bijma, speaker of the Helmhotz Graduate School "POLMAR" and senior scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute with a special research interest in global biogeochemical cycles and processes of past and current climate change, received the Union Service Award 2010 of the European Geosciences Unit (EGU). With the award EGU honoured Jelle Bijma for his service as President of the Division on Biogeosciences, his commitment and active participation in the council and on several committees, and for his work as editor of the open access journal "Biogeosciences".
Children experience their environment on Helgoland island
To stimulate children’s interest in their immediate vicinity and to provide playful insights into natural scientific work is an important concern of the Biological Institute Helgoland. This year pupils participate in fresh an seawater days on the island already for the forth time. On April 27th and May 6th 2010 they start expeditions to the dune, a separate island offshore Helgoland, to sample a freshwater pond (picture) and the seawater.
Marine Science Award for Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte
For outstanding achievements in the field of biological marine science Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte, director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, has been awarded the "Deutsche Bank - IFM-GEOMAR Meeresforschungspreis 2010" on April 26th. During a ceremony at the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) in Kiel, Federal Minister for Education and Research Prof. Dr. Annette Schavan commended Dr. Lochte as an excellent scientist with great national and international experience.
Bayer Climate Award 2010 for Prof. Dr. Peter Lemke
On April 22nd, at the Humboldt University in Berlin, Professor Peter Lemke has been presented with the 50.000 € "Bayer Climate Award 2010" by the Bayer Science & Education Foundation. Honoured for his groundbreaking research on the role of sea ice in the climate system, the scientist of the Alfred Wegener Institute was selected by an independent international board of experts from a group of 16 candidates that were nominated by the presidents of major European research associations.en/news/press_releases/detail/item/bayer_climate_award_2010_for_professor_peter_lemke/?tx_list_pi1[mode]=6&cHash=ef158e5d5148c14513cf5b9b4f5e8c9f
Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius new member of the German "Wissenschaftsrat"
Marine Scientist Professor Antje Boetius was appointed to the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), a panel of experts advising German federal and state governments in scientific issues. Antje Boetius is heading the "Joint Research Group for Deep Sea Ecology and Technology of the Helmholtz Association and the Max Planck Society", a research cooperation between the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Max Planck Institute of Marine Microbiology in Bremen.
Permafrost microbiology on the move!
The International Permafrost Association is awarded a grant from the International Council for Science (ICSU) to launch its MicroPerm project.
ICSU announced on March 15th, 2010 that the MicroPerm project, which stands for “circumpolar integration of permafrost microbiological studies” is the successful recipient of a 2010 ICSU grant. The project, led by Dr. Dirk Wagner, at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, Germany, is the first of its kind, in that it will bring together all investigations related to permafrost microbiology to assess its relation to climate. Read more on the website of the International Permafrost Association...
Karin Lochte new chair of the scientific commission of the federal state of Niedersachsen
Since February 1st 2010 Professor Karin Lochte, Director of Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research is chairwoman of the scientific commission of the federal state of Niedersachsen (WKN). The WKN is an independent brains trust, which advises the federal state government of Niedersachsen regarding political aspects of science and research.
