Logo Universitat Bremen
Die Inhalte dieser Seite sind leider nicht auf Deutsch verfügbar.
Seitenpfad:
  • INTERCOAST
  • Education
  • INTERCOAST Workshop/Retreat on Oil Exploration in the Wadden Sea National Park, 2-3 April 2012

INTERCOAST Workshop/Retreat on Oil Exploration in the Wadden Sea National Park, 2-3 April 2012

The INTERCOAST PhD students have recently participated in an interdisciplinary workshop on the topic of oil exploration in the Wadden Sea National Park. The workshop took place in Dornumersiel, near the National Park, on April 2-3, 2012.


Owing to the multitude of clashing interests in using or conserving coastal areas, specific uses in these areas create problems that are often beyond the scope of single disciplines to solve. Instead, finding solutions requires crossing traditional boundaries between multiple disciplines in order to come up with integrative approaches that grasp the broader dimension of a problem including not only scientific, but also societal and political dimensions.


Against this background, it was the aim of the first INTERCOAST Retreat to increase the ability of PhD students to pool their approaches and modify them so that they are better prepared to solve such problems in the future. Therefore, students were required to understand a specific topic in terms of multiple disciplines, such as natural sciences, social science, law, and economics, and develop a common examination of this topic.

INTERCOAST PhD students presenting the 'state of the art' on Day 1 of the workshop.

A short break at the Dornumersiel tidal flats.

The topic which was examined was the current issue of oil exploration that has been proposed in the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea. Oil exploration poses new decision-making challenges for the National Park authority. Before a consent decision can be made, certain and potential environmental impacts must be considered, and the interests of the regional stakeholders must be taken into account. The process for making such decisions usually involves input from experts in the relevant fields, such as biologists, geoscientists, engineers, social scientists, economists, and legal experts. The conclusions made by these experts must be considered by the authority with respect to the relevant provisions in the National Park law. The law prohibits certain activities that may adversely affect the National Park or parts of it, but at the same time, exemptions can be granted for activities that are of over-riding public interest, such as social and economic benefits. The information provided by the experts is not always sufficient to make an informed decision regarding the proposal. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the authority to require further investigation into the costs and benefits of the activity.

On Day 1 of the workshop, the students presented the ‘state of the art’ information which was relevant for a detailed analysis of the proposed activities. Following the presentations, a perspective was chosen from which to analyse the costs and benefits of the exploration. On Day 2, in interdisciplinary groups, the students collated their knowledge to fill the roles of the ‘experts’ as well as the ‘authority’ to come to a conclusion as to whether the proposed activities should be allowed. However, rather than issuing a decision, the students identified knowledge gaps which needed to be filled before a decision could be made. Detailed research questions were then designed in such a way that the findings would provide the needed information, which could assist the authority to make a more well-informed decision as to the proposed activities.

A short break was taken at the tidal flats, guided by the resident biologist in the group, PhD student Dorothea Kohlmeier, who was able to introduce the participants to a wide variety of native and non-native mud flat species, such as the Blue Mussel and the Pacific Oyster. Some comedic moments were enjoyed slogging through the mud while experiencing the well-known vacuum effect on ones footwear, but all participants managed to return to dry land with all boots on!

INTERCOAST PhD student, Ingo Unterweger presenting the relevant legal provisions for oil exploration in the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park.

On 10 April, following the workshop, the students presented their findings in a 2-hour seminar to their supervisors and other interested colleagues in MARUM at the University of Bremen. Lively discussions were initiated after the seminar which illuminated possible areas for further analysis, such as the effectiveness of the relevant legal provisions and the issue of renewable energy as opposed to non-renewable sources.

To obtain a copy of the full presentation please contact: [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript] or [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript] .

During the workshop, the students learned two major skills. The students learned how to present science in an understandable way, which created the basic knowledge-base for all students to collaborate on the next step. Then, the students learned to negotiate, pool their approaches, and elaborate on a common concept, which can be viewed from different scientific perspectives.