Minister Wanka visited MARUM

Sep 4, 2014

Senator Prof. Eva Quante-Brandt, Mayor Jens Böhrnsen, MARUM director Prof. Michael Schulz, Prof. Dierk Hebbeln, Federal Minister Prof. Johanna Wanka, Dr. Ralph Baumheier, and Prof. Gerold Wefer (from left to right)
Photo: V. Diekamp, MARUM

The Federal Minister of Education and Research, Prof. Dr. Johanna Wanka, visited the MARUM on September 5th. The minister was informed about current and future research topics and the underwater technologies developed and operated at MARUM.

Minister Wanka was accompanied by Mayor Jens Böhrnsen and Bremen’s Senator for Education and Science Prof. Dr. Eva Quante-Brandt. In addition to the deep-sea diving robot QUEST and the new sea-floor drill rig MeBo200, Minister Wanka visited the core repository of the International Ocean Discovery Program IODP, which is operated by MARUM. At various stations MARUM scientists reported on current and future research topics, the infrastructure at MARUM, as well as national and international cooperative projects. The visit concluded with a discussion about the great relevance of marine sciences, the research needs, and the expansion of cooperation between universities and non-university research institutions.

Prof. Gerold Wefer shows a special core – a sample from the seafloor – out of the Bremen core repository.

The guests next to the new sea-floor drill rig MeBo200

Dr. Volker Ratmeyer explains the diving robot MARUM-QUEST to Minister Wanka.