Species of the Month

Marine species of the month in the International Year of Biodiversity

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, in order to foster awareness that the welfare of mankind depends on the conservation of biodiversity, on preventing the loss of diversity and to demonstrate achievements in the protection of biodiversity.

In this context, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research intends to introduce a "Marine species of the Month" during 2010, as proxy for different and specific research topics of the Institute. The "species of the Month" will epitomize various aspects of climate change and its impact on the ocean as a habitat, as is seen for example in the decrease of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic, or the warming and acidification of the oceans. Other topics addressed will be related to changes in species composition in our coastal waters, e.g. the invasion of new species into the North Sea and the consequences.