Untitled - The Future Ocean

will address the emerging new research topics of “The Future Ocean” as identified in the Clusterproposal (Fig. 2, Table 1). Research within the Cluster will be organized under two themes (A)Oceans in the Greenhouse World and (B) Marine Resources and Risks. Theme A will develop thescientific foundations required to evaluate future oceanic change with respect to energy, water,carbon and chemical cycling (Section 2.1). Theme B will address a range of emerging issuesregarding marine resources and hazards associated with the Future Ocean (Section 2.2). Theproposed Integrated School of Ocean Sciences (ISOS) will consolidate in structure, and enhancein scope, multidisciplinary and research-driven ocean education at Kiel University. The JRGleaders will contribute to education in the ISOS and will benefit from the infrastructure provided bythe school (Section 1.4).Cluster research will be supported by four overarching research platforms (Fig. 2). The platformswill offer a wide range of services including numerical expertise, modeling, and super-computersupport, isotope and trace metal analysis, access to high-throughput molecular analysis facilities,and cutting-edge marine technology to explore the global ocean in space and time from theoceanic crust to the air-sea interface (Section 2.3). The Cluster platforms permit the more efficientuse of resources and will be further developed and strengthened according to the scientific needsof the Cluster.The Cluster is embedded in the “Kieler Forschernetzwerk: Ozean der Zukunft” (http://www.ozeanreceivedstart-up funding from the State of Schleswig Holstein to coordinate all research activitiesder-zukunft.de). This network of Kiel-based scientists was founded in November 2005 anddevoted to the Future Ocean theme. It includes other major projects, such as the new SFBproposal “Climate-Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Oceans” recently submitted to theDFG. Some of the Cluster activities were already started within the network. Thus, the overarchingforums for transfer to application (Section 1.2.2.6) and public outreach (Section 1.2.2.7) havealready formed and organized joint workshops with the local maritime industries and mediarepresentatives. The platforms (Section 2.3) were established and received state funding to buyhigh-end instrumentation for Future Ocean research. The network will continue beyond the fundingperiod of the Cluster. All major Cluster elements including the ISOS, the platforms and the forumsfor public outreach and transfer to application will carry on working within the network and willcontinue to exist after Cluster funding has ended. The scientific objectives identified in the Clusterproposal will be pursued and further developed within the network over the coming decades.Close cooperation between the Future Ocean Cluster and the other proposed Kiel-based Cluster ofExcellence (Inflammation at Interfaces) is ensured by proponents from the medical faculty who areprincipal investigators in both Cluster proposals.8