About Kiel Marine Science (KMS)
Kiel Marine Science (KMS) is the Centre for Interdisciplinary Marine Science at Kiel University. KMS performs a central coordinating role for all researchers in natural sciences, the humanities, and social sciences whose work concerns oceans, coasts, and their interaction with humanity. Associated research groups have expertise in fields such as climate research, coastal research, physical chemistry, botany, microbiology, mathematics, informatics, economics, law, and social science. Altogether, KMS is comprised of over 70 research groups from seven faculties and more than 26 research institutes.
Research at the Interface between Humanity and the Sea
The complexity of the ocean in the earth system requires broad-based research. This is essential considering the key function the ocean provides for humanity worldwide due to its global influence on the climate, its role as a supplier of food and raw materials, and its risk potential as a natural hazard. In return, the ocean and its coasts are strongly influenced by human activities such as CO2 emissions, overfishing, or marine pollution. Marine science at Kiel University therefore makes an important contribution to better understanding these processes through Kiel Marine Science as an interdisciplinary and interfaculty research focus area and in developing strategies for the sustainable use and conservation of ocean systems at the interface between humanity and the sea.
Researchers from seven of CAU's eight faculties participate in the Kiel Marine Science (KMS) research focus area.
Five Key Themes
KMS conducts interdisciplinary projects in marine research and is currently organised into five key thematic focus areas:
- Coasts
- Governance
- Blue Bioeconomy
- Digital Ocean
- Biological Marine Systems
Networks and Platforms
Kiel Marine Science (KMS) is connected with regional, national, and international academic and science policy networks. These also include close cooperation with Kiel University institutions such as the Research and Technology Centre West Coast (FTZ) and joint projects in research and teaching with the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.
To the website of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Knowledge Transfer in Society, the Economy, Politics, and to the General Public
Using the KMS Center for Ocean and Society (CeOS) platform, the transfer of research results is achieved together with stakeholders from different interest groups. Additionally, KMS is engaged in interdisciplinary and interfaculty training of students and doctoral candidates and develops specific programmes for postdocs together with GEOMAR, relevant institutions within Kiel University, and the Graduate and Postdoc Centres. Through the ozean:labor of the Kiel Science Factory, targeted modules are offered for pupils of all grades and school forms, as well as further training for teachers. Further, active scientific communication is among the activities performed by Kiel Marine Science.
