GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, one of the leading institutions in marine research, together with the FUTURO (Future of Tropical Upwelling Regions in the Atlantic Ocean) project – centered around a large-scale, one-year field study off West Africa in the tropical Northeast Atlantic – is offering a position for a Scientific Project Manager to support this international research initiative.
This role includes project planning and coordination, financial and organizational oversight, stakeholder communication, and funding acquisition. The eligible criteria include completed university degree (preferably in natural fields), professional experience in the field as well as experience in national or international research funding, and communication skills in German and English. Experience in cooperation with African institutions is a plus.
This full-time position, with a minimum duration of 24 months, offers work-life balance support, engagement in marine and climate research areas, pension plan and beneficial benefits.
FUTURO will study the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) off West Africa – a critical marine region providing 25% of global fisheries from just 1-2% of ocean surface. The project addresses climate change impacts, acidification, and overfishing while developing sustainable practices to support West African coastal communities.
GEOMAR is focused on the global ocean and marine research and is committed to develop sustainable solutions for the protection of the ocean. They promote knowledge and technology transfer through international exchange.
Applications should be sent until 20th April 2025 under this link.
For further information and other jobs opportunities, please visit www.geomar.de.
Networking Friday with Martin Visbeck (GEOMAR)
On October 2nd, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, Martin Visbeck, Professor for Physical Oceanography at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Kiel University, discussed the Future Ocean Sustainability – From Ocean Observation towards Sustainable Development. The session will be moderated by Isabel Sousa Pinto, Professor at the University of Porto and Head of the Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation group at Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR). Martin introduced two elements of the value chain more specifically: First the All-Atlantic Ocean Observing System (AtlantOS), a community-based program to support the implementation of an integrated basin-scale observing system ‘that benefits all of us living, working and relying on the ocean’. AtlantOS is working to support the ocean community to enhance and sustain basin-scale ocean observing in the Atlantic as a contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and similar programs and promotes the GEO Blue Planet Initiative. How can we transform current ocean observing from a niche action to the societal norm. Martin also introduced the concept of a Digital Twin of the Ocean as the next step in the value chain, filling the need to integrate a wide range of data and information sources (from physics to ecology through biology, chemistry and geology, as well as from social or economic sciences and business operators), to transform data into knowledge and to connect, engage, and empower citizens, governments and industries by providing them with the capacity to inform their decisions with the goal to arrive at a more sustainable ocean governing system. Neither AtlantOS nor the Digital Twin Ocean can succeed without full engagement of the ocean community including the Global North and Global South, actors from academia, business, civil society, indigenous and communities of practice. The upcoming UN Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to advance such agendas in the Atlantic and around the globe.
Networking Friday Special Session on Space Capacity Building
On September 25, 1-3 PM UTC, we held a Thematic Special Session on Space Capacity Building with Stefano Ferretti (ESA), Shubha Sathyendranath (Plymouth Marine Laboratory), and Antonio Martelo (DLR). The session focused on Space Capacity Building to empower the international community towards fully accessing all the economic and societal benefits that space assets and data can offer. New innovation models are increasingly spreading across various sectors and disciplines, including space, which is becoming an integral part of many societal activities (e.g. telecoms, weather, climate change and environmental monitoring, civil protection, infrastructures, transportation and navigation, healthcare and education). The session helped participants to construct their own space capacity building roadmaps, which take into account key stakeholders and also new private actors, NGOs and civil society. Starting from a policy and strategy perspective, the session addressed key aspects of capacity building, including innovation and exploration, global health, climate change and resilient societies. It outlined the available options and summarized the ideal programmatic conditions for their successful implementation. Showcasing reflections from a range of senior space professionals around the world, with their unique perspectives and solutions, the session provided a rich mosaic in which various cultural and policy approaches to space are translated into actionable programs and ideas so that space may truly benefit all of humankind.
Networking Friday with Gordon Campbell (ESA)
On September 4th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we met Gordon Campbell, Science, Head of Enterprise Section, EO Data Applications Division, EO Science, Applications and Climate Department, European Space Agency (ESA). The moderator was Piero Messina (ESA). Gordon Campbell has been working for ESA since 1999 on defining and implementing actions to expand the uptake and use of Satellite Earth Observation data. This involved working on a range of public sector domains including environment, natural resources, law enforcement/ security and transport. He is also working to expand the use of satellite derived information in the International Development context in partnership with entities such as World Bank, Global Environment Facility and Inter-American Development Bank. Examples include management of natural resources (eg fisheries surveillance, management of mining activities) and putting in place more efficient sustainable development approaches (eg planning and monitoring impacts of development projects on critical habitats and ecosystems).