Research Institute for
Sustainability | at GFZ

Oceans and Arctic

Global change processes induce a multitude of hazards and challenges for the oceans and entire regions such as the Arctic. Overfishing, pollution, climate change, or the destruction of natural habitats have severely harmed nearly half of the world's oceans. If we are to prevent the collapse of marine environments, this decline in ocean health must come to an end or, even better, be reversed. Ensuring that oceans, coastlines and sensitive regions are managed sustainably requires effective mechanisms to govern and regulate human activities that impact on ecosystems and resources.

The existing frameworks for ocean governance are inadequate in many respects:

Measures adopted by individual states to foster sustainable practices have a limited impact due to the transboundary nature of marine ecosystems, fisheries, energy development and pollution. This situation is compounded by a frequent lack of coordination in activities and policy objectives across different sectors. Efforts to protect the high seas, for example, have been hampered by gaps in the relevant legal and institutional frameworks. Regional governance frameworks can complement existing global instruments and help to overcome sectoral and institutional fragmentation.

Global warming and advances in technology pose new challenges to the governance of the oceans and entire regions. As natural resources located in previously remote regions are becoming increasingly accessible, the pressure increases to open these areas to development and resource extraction activities.

In an effort to promote the sustainable use of marine and energy resources and the protection of oceans and coasts, the IASS evaluates existing governance approaches for the oceans and regions such as the Western Indian Ocean or the Arctic. The IASS supports ongoing transformation processes with a focus on ocean and regional governance, and in cooperation with partners from science, policy-making, and civil society, develops solutions for critical sustainability challenges. Our research efforts in this field address a range of questions relating to policy-development processes involving political institutions and legal frameworks located at national, regional, and global levels: What models of regional and cross-sectoral ocean governance have the capacity to deliver sustainable outcomes? What ecological safeguards should be implemented around deep seabed mining or Arctic energy and transport development? How can ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction be protected? Which stakeholders and interest groups should be involved these processes? Can insights and lessons learned be translated across regions? The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal for the Oceans (SDG 14) is a particular focus of research activities in this area at the IASS.

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Launch of Website on Co-creative Arctic Research

The Dávgi research project from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) aimed to create a basis for knowledge exchange through collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners. Conceptualized by the research collaborative CO-CREATE Arctic, Dávgi offered a unique opportunity to reflect on and create resources to support co-creative research relations. This work recently culminated in the launch of the website co-create-arctic.org.
Thorben Windirsch

Protecting Arctic Permafrost with Reindeer

One third of global soil carbon is located in the permafrost regions of the Arctic, which cover 22 per cent of the Northern Hemisphere. Keeping soil temperatures low is vital to ensuring that this carbon stays in the ground. RIFS Fellow Torben Windirsch has studied this issue extensively and has shown in several scientific pilot studies that large herbivores helped to sequester carbon in Arctic soils over successive ice ages. As a fellow at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS), he will explore how these findings can be communicated to Arctic communities and stakeholders.
Swaantje Güntzel, Eisbär, 2024, Photo Tobias Hübel

How Normal Is Our Reality?

Perceptions of the Arctic take centre-stage in the recent work of Hamburg-based conceptual artist Swaantje Güntzel, created during her tenure as the resident Art Fellow at the Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam. Now several galleries across Germany are showcasing Güntzel’s art, including works from previous years.
reflection

13.04.2023

Building a network for sustainable research relationships

At the end of February 2023, the research project DÁVGI: Co-creation for biocultural diversity in the Arctic held the second in a series of workshops aimed at further establishing and strengthening CO-CREATE, a collective of like-minded Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers.
A wind farm in the Far North

27.01.2023

Grabbing the Land or Benefitting Communities? Renewable Hydrogen in the Norwegian Arctic

Green hydrogen (H2) is often portrayed as a key component for the green energy transition, since it is produced with renewable energy through electrolysis – the splitting up of freshwater into hydrogen and oxygen – and does not emit carbon dioxide when combusted. Not only does green hydrogen harbour huge potential for the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors (e.g. steelmaking and production of fertilizers) as well as maritime shipping and aviation, its use as an energy storage solution makes it particularly promising for remote and sparsely populated areas with an abundance of renewable energy resources.
Tiefsee

Two-year Countdown for Deep Seabed Mining

The clock is ticking down fast but is there a need to rush? In 2021, the island nation of Nauru triggered a treaty provision known as the “two-year rule” that obliges the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to finalize and adopt regulations for deep seabed mining within 24 months. Researcher Pradeep Singh of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) examines the legal implications of this provision in a paper published in the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law.
Mangroves brasil CO2

Protecting the Ocean-Climate-Nexus – Policy Recommendations for Germany

Mangrove forests, seagrass beds and salt marshes, macroalgae and marine sediments: All of these marine ecosystems can store atmospheric CO2 in their biomass and sediments. In an IASS study, researchers present recommendations for Germany to better address this aspect of the ocean-climate-nexus in national environmental policy.
ISAAssembley Oceans

21.03.2022

Seabed mining: Negotiating the fate of the common heritage of humankind

From 21 March to 1 April 2022 governments will continue negotiations of international regulations for deep seabed at the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Scientists from IASS will attend the 27th Session of the ISA Council as part of research on environmental standards for deep seabed mining.
Portrait of Sylvia Earle

17.12.2021

The Ocean at COP26 - “Ocean Action is Climate Action”

At COP26 in Glasgow, the ocean was addressed in many discussions on climate solutions. But despite the frequently noted importance of putting the ocean-climate nexus on the agenda and promising pledges made by various governments, there is still work to be done to ensure measurable progress and favourable outcomes for the climate, the ocean, and people.
Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Unsplash

28.10.2021

A "Blue Deal" for Germany – Marine Policy as a Future Project for the New Coalition Government

The issue of marine conservation was hardly mentioned in the election campaign and the exploratory coalition talks that followed. This despite the fact that, for years, scientists have agreed that the climate crisis cannot be successfully combated without active marine conservation. Yet with the start of the coalition negotiations, this could now change. A look at the election programmes of the Green Party and the liberal FDP offers hope that a "Blue Deal" – a sustainable marine policy that is in line with the 1.5-degrees target and could improve the livelihood of those living in coastal regions – will be one of the future projects of the new coalition government.
Deep Ocean Water Sea

We need a binding global agreement on plastics

There are increasing signs that negotiations over a global agreement on plastic pollution will begin in February 2022. In an article co-authored by IASS researcher Sebastian Unger and his team published in the journal “Science”, a team of scientists present the three key objectives and a number of supporting actions for an intergovernmental agreement in order to effectively curb the increasing amount of plastic waste.
Meemu Atoll Maldives Ocean

Strengthening Regional Marine Protection Through Dialogues

Sustainable Development Goal 14 (“Life below water”) of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development addresses the protection and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources. Conventional approaches to environmental policy and governance are less suited to transboundary systems such as the ocean. A new study by researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) examines the challenges and potentials of collaborative processes at the level of marine regions.
A town in western Greenland: Climate change is transforming this region.

Recommendations on Polar Research Submitted to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Over 100 experts on the Arctic Region, including researchers from the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, have prepared a concept paper on “Polar Regions in Transition” for the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The paper, which presents recommendations on key areas of focus for polar research in the coming years, was presented to the public at an online launch on 19 May 2021.
Water Ozean Sea

Save our oceans to protect our health

The European interdisciplinary collaboration Seas Oceans and Public Health In Europe (SOPHIE) Project has outlined the initial steps that a wide range of organisations could take to work together to protect the largest connected ecosystem on Earth. In a commentary paper published in the American Journal of Public Health the researchers, among them Torsten Thiele of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), call on public health and medical professionals to harness the UN Ocean Decade (2021-2030) as a meaningful catalyst for global change, reminding us that ocean health is intricately linked to human health.
Deepsea Oceans

Deep Seabed Mining Must Benefit All Humankind

As investors set their sights on the mineral resources of the deep seabed, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is developing regulations that will govern their future exploration and possible exploitation. A new IASS Policy Brief, published in cooperation with the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), presents three recommendations to ensure that future deep seabed mining would be to the common benefit all humankind, as required by international law.
Oceans plastic litter sea

Recommendations for Regional Action to Combat Marine Plastic Pollution

Millions of tonnes of plastic waste find their way into the ocean every year. A team of researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam has investigated the role of regional ocean governance in the fight against marine plastic pollution, highlighting why regional marine governance should be further strengthened as negotiations for a new global agreement continue.
The EU’s IOG Forum aims to mobilise ocean actors and stakeholders worldwide for a joint exchange.

New Platform Aims to Strengthen EU’s Role in Ocean Governance

Strengthening the European Union’s role in international ocean governance - this is the aim of the EU International Ocean Governance Forum (IOG Forum) developed by the European Commission and the European External Action Service with the support of the IASS and other project partners. In late April 2020, the IOG Forum was launched online with a series of online-seminars attended by 450 experts. The series addressed a range of issues, including the protection and sustainable use of the oceans, how to deal with the oceans in the context of climate change and the role of research and science for a sustainable future for the oceans.
A healthy coral reef in Indonesia.

07.05.2020

A healthy ocean can help fight pandemics

Marine life is full of potential treatments, including the first antiviral approved for Covid-19 patients
Cooperation across ocean regions is vital to marine conservation.

Marine Regions Crucial to Ocean Conservation

The next decade will be crucial for the future of our oceans. What role can marine regions play in efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals? Which approaches have proven successful and what can be done to enhance their coordination? Experts developed solutions to these questions and more at the Marine Regions Forum held in Berlin, Germany last autumn. On 4–5 February, IASS project lead Sebastian Unger will present the most important recommendations at a preparatory meeting for the United Nations’ 2020 Ocean Conference.
deep sea

Regulation of deep seabed mining to protect the common heritage of mankind

Interest in the extraction of mineral resources from the deep seabed has grown in recent years. In order to protect the marine environment, the existing legal framework must be strengthened through the addition of environmental objectives and regulations to minimize harmful impacts. A team of researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam recommends the establishment of ecological safeguards for deep-seabed mining in a new report commissioned by the German Environment Agency (UBA).
Flaggen UNclimatechange - CC BY 2.0

Global Climate Change Conference in Madrid The IASS at COP25

Taking place in Madrid from 2 to 13 December, the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) will focus on the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) will be represented in Madrid by a number of experts, who will address a range of issues.
Tiefsee iStockphoto Tolokonov

New Study on the Future of the Global Seafloor

The ocean hosts an inconceivable wealth of marine life and diverse habitats, most of which remains unknown. International plans to mine minerals from the deep seafloor threaten this largely unexplored biodiversity hotspot. States are currently seeking to develop a legal framework for deep seabed mining. In cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, an international team of researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) has published a new study warning against a rush to exploit deep seafloor resources and calling for coordinated efforts to develop alternative approaches.
Ocean health is at risk.

27.09.2019

Achieving a healthy ocean – Regional ocean governance beyond 2020

The ocean plays a fundamental role in regulating global temperatures. Not only does the ocean absorb 93 percent of the heat trapped by rising anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), but it also absorbs approximately 25 to 30 percent of anthropogenic CO2 emissions that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere and increase global warming.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP, addresses the conference.

First Marine Regions Forum Develops Solutions for Ocean Health

The first meeting of the Marine Regions Forum will take place on 30 September – 2 October, 2019, under the overarching theme “Achieving a healthy ocean – Regional ocean governance beyond 2020.”
Climate change affects coral reefs.

Fresh Impetus for Marine Conservation

Climate change is having particularly devastating impacts on the world’s oceans: they are becoming warmer and more acidic, with profound consequences for their complex ecosystem. The special report on “The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate”, due to be presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on 25 September, evaluates current scientific research on changes to the oceans. The Marine Regions Forum will convene in Berlin shortly afterwards with the aim of delivering clear recommendations, actionable results, and more support for regional partnerships.
Meer von oben

A Rescue Plan for the Ocean

A comprehensive High Seas Treaty and extensive marine protected areas are urgently needed in the next decade to preserve life-supporting ocean function. These are just two of eight measures recommended in a study, to which Torsten Thiele from the Ocean Governance team at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) contributed.
If the UN Convention meets the expectations of conservationists, marine animals such as this whale will be better protected from human impact in the future.

Marine Biodiversity Conservation Agreement Must Factor in Adaptability to Ensure Resilience

The next round of negotiations on a new legally binding instrument for biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) will take place from 19 to 30 August 2019. How can the agreement be formulated to meet the challenges of a constantly changing environment? A new study makes concrete proposals for an agreement that includes resilience principles.
Vietnamese women are repairing fishing nets in a repair shop. Although women are engaged at all levels of interactions with the ocean, gender inequality is not uncommon across sectors.

13.06.2019

The ocean we need for the future we want

A healthy ocean is critical to the survival of every life on earth. However, given that the marine environment, including its currents and species that inhabit its waters, are transboundary, national action alone cannot ensure its conservation. Each one of us must resolve the pressing issues facing the ocean, from marine pollution and overfishing to securing vulnerable coastal communities.
Climate change and overexploitation threaten the world’s oceans.

Effective Agreements and Greater Cooperation: Recommendations for Marine Conservation in South America and Africa

The United Nations wish to adopt a new global agreement for the protection of the high seas in the coming year. The negotiations among the UN member states offer an opportunity to strengthen marine conservation and extend protections to ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction. IASS researchers have developed a number of recommendations to strengthen relevant legal frameworks and bolster institutional cooperation in West Africa and South America.
Jocelyn Joe-Strack visited Potsdam at the invitation of the Embassy of Canada in Berlin, the Alfred Wegener Institute and the IASS.

A Duty of Care: How Indigenous Knowledge Can Help the Arctic

Retreating ice, more shipping, fewer reindeer – climate change is already leaving its mark in the Arctic. How are people on the ground coping with these changes? At a recent event in Potsdam, indigenous scientist and entrepreneur Jocelyn Joe-Strack explained why numbers don’t tell the whole story and how her people in the Canadian Arctic are rebuilding their holistic relationship with nature.
Commitments have been made to improve tracking of products from tuna from vessel to final buyer.

From Voluntary Commitments to Ocean Sustainability: IASS Researchers Propose Global Registry and Uniform Monitoring System

Our human livelihoods depend on the oceans, and the conservation of this vital resource is one of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), which together form the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In order to achieve SDG 14, the sustainable use and development of the world’s oceans, a plethora of voluntary commitments have been made in recent years. IASS researchers Barbara Neumann and Sebastian Unger have studied these voluntary commitments. Their findings and recommendations for improving the existing system have now been published in the prestigious journal Science.
Andreas Papaconstantinou (European Commission), Ngedikes Olai Uludong (Permanent Representative to the UN from Palau) and Barbara Neumann (IASS) were among the experts who gathered at the IASS for the workshop.

Marine Conservation: New Dialogue Forum to Strengthen Cooperation

Our oceans are increasingly suffering under the pressure of overfishing, pollution, climate change, and acidification. Yet in spite of this, the various institutions responsible for conserving them still tend to operate in isolation from each other. That situation is about to change: On 8 and 9 October, about 40 international experts gathered at the IASS to further refine the concept for a new informal dialogue forum at the interface of science, policy and society.
Überfischung und Plastikmüll bedrohen Meeresbewohner wie diese Wasserschildkröte. Ein neues Abkommen würde ihnen Schutz gewähren.

UN Negotiations on the Protection of the High Seas: Policy Brief Makes Recommendations for Regional Governance

Negotiations on a new international agreement to protect biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction – and support the UN sustainable development goals in the process – got under way in September. Researchers from the IASS were present at the negotiations and have now published a Policy Brief with recommendations for the proposed agreement.
Climate change is altering the Arctic faster than any other global region.

Understanding the Arctic: New Textbook on Arctic Politics

The new textbook “Internationale Politik und Governance in der Arktis” offers a vivid and detailed overview of the actors, events, and processes that have shaped the governance of the Arctic Region. The textbook was written by IASS researcher Kathrin Stephen, Sebastian Knecht from Freie Universität Berlin and Golo M. Bartsch from the European External Action Service (Brussels).
The loss of marine biodiversity is weakening the ocean ecosystem. A new UN treaty may help to protect it.

Biodiversity: UN Agreement for the Protection of the Ocean

Fishing, shipping, pollution and climate change pose a threat to the high seas. An international UN Agreement, adopted in March 2023, will provide the legal framework for states to take action and protect marine biodiversity. In the Ocean Governance Group, scientists at RIFS are researching the impacts of ocean policies and developing recommendations.
Regional organisations play an important role in solving major ocean conservation challenges.

Ocean Action in the Southeast Pacific: Study Recommends Greater Regional Cooperation

In September, UN member states will begin negotiating a treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity on the high seas. But such challenges as ocean conservation cannot be resolved at the global level alone. A new study focusing on the Southeast Pacific shows what role regional organisations can play.
"The Skin of Our Planet" is the topic of the Potsdam Summer School 2018.

The Skin of our Planet: Call for Applications to the 2018 Potsdam Summer School

The Earth’s surface is the foundation of all human activity. Geological, biological and climatic dynamics like the carbon cycle, soil formation, and climate and ocean currents form a complex web of connected processes, whose interactions are not yet fully understood. The fifth Potsdam Summer School from 10 to 19 September 2018 is devoted to “The Skin of our Planet – the Earth’s Surface System”.
Jorid Hammersland (Swedish Ministry for the Environment and Energy) spoke about regional ocean partnerships.

From Good Intentions to Concrete Action? Experts Analyse Progress on Protecting Oceans

Ocean conservation ranked high on the international political agenda in 2017. But did stakeholders succeed in turning the tide towards greater sustainability? Representatives from science, policymaking and civil society met at the IASS on 13-14 December to discuss this.
Zugang zu bezahlbarer, verlässlicher, nachhaltiger und zeitgemäßer Energie für alle ist eines der UN-Nachhaltigkeitsziele.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

By endorsing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the international community signalled its commitment to tackling global challenges through cooperation. The Agenda provides a blueprint for reconciling economic growth with social justice and environmental sustainability.

05.11.2015

The Arctic Circle - A Report from Reykjavik

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Reykjavik to attend Arctic Circle 2015, a large gathering bringing together scientists, policy makers, civil society, intergovernmental organisations and industry representatives (the accompanying short film provides a snapshot of the event).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDkhMU78niQ

The gathering is the brainchild of the Icelandic president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson and aims to serve as a platform to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the in

03.09.2015

German Involvement in the Arctic: Policy Issues and Scientific Research

When the German Foreign Office asked me in March whether I would like to become a member of the Working Group on Sustainable Arctic Development in the German Observer Delegation of the Arctic Council, of course I did not hesitate. What a splendid opportunity for an Arctic scholar to experience Arctic governance first-hand!
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