About 20 IMAP members and IMAP alumni participated in the first Research Alumni Conference of the 'Future Ocean' in New York City, September 28-30, 2015.
The aim of the symposium 'Sustainable Ocean Development – A Perspective from Former, Current and Future Kiel Marine Scientists' was to connect alumni of Kiel marine sciences with the current Kiel marine sciences community. A particular focus was placed on the engagement of early career researchers in the field of integrated ocean science and hence Ph.D. students and postdocs from the co-organizing Earth Institute at Columbia University were also invited to participate. About 60 alumni from the US and Canada and early career researchers from the Cluster in Kiel and the Earth Institute at Columbia University, New York met in an inspiring atmosphere to exchange their views on sustainable ocean development and to develop ideas for new lines of inquiry in the field. Each of the scientific sessions focusing on ecosystem services and provisions (Valued Ocean), on future ocean systems (The Ocean in 2100) and on challenges in ocean conservation (Ocean Conservation) was introduced by an invited key note lecture and included scientific presentations and pitch talks with poster presentations by the Ph.D. students and postdocs. The lunch lecture on ocean conservation from an NGO's perspective was a definite highlight and gave insights into the challenges of future sustainable ocean development. A session on funding opportunities for transatlantic mobility and joint research projects complemented the scientific part of the symposium. Representatives from funding organizations from both sides of the Atlantic informed the participants about their funding schemes and discussed the need for support with the participants. The symposium was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research administered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, by the Earth Institute and the German Centre for Research and Innovation, New York, and co-organized by the Cluster and the Earth Institute at Columbia University.