In two new publications, our interdisciplinary research group of ‘The Future Ocean’ around Martin Visbeck emphasizes the need for international cooperation and governance to protect the marine environment and secure blue wealth. Continuing human development and economic growth, and unrestricted access to ocean resources and global environmental changes, along with climate change, are putting enormous […]

“Our research aims at improving the scientific basis necessary for more sustainable development of the global future ocean. These aims include the development of a fully negotiable SDG text and a concept for Future Ocean Spatial Planning (FOSP). Therefore, we will build working groups of experts from inside the research group and including external key […]

“Nothing is static, and neither are the world’s coasts. Constantly shaped by waves and wind, and at a progressive rate by humans, coasts are facing considerable changes – and challenges. A rising demand for coastal resources, resulting alterations and interventions in the coastal zone, natural hazards, climate change and resulting effects have noticeable and often […]

“Since the classical definition provided by the Brundtland Commission in 1987, the term ‘sustainability’ has become the dominant Leitmotiv for shaping international environmental and developmental relations. Notwithstanding these efforts, there is still no commonly accepted definition of the term and it often remains unclear what sustainability actually means. This holds particularly true in the conservation, […]

“Fisheries are a prime example of an activity that originates in the coastal environment but whose focus typically extends well into the ocean. The major impediments for sustainable fisheries are non-existent or weak management, along with poor compliance and enforcement. We need to improve scientific input and develop ocean literacy in the general public in […]

“The international law community is trying to understand if existing international law is sufficient to reach the goal of sustainable oceans and coasts or if new legal instruments are required to fill existing or perceived gaps. A particularly challenging topic is whether governments view existing and possibly extended law as binding upon states parties or […]