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An introduction by Dr Mark Lenz from GEOMAR at SEALEVEL
“Research in the deep sea is just as inhumane as space exploration.”
A yellow glider in Kiel's SEALEVEL has collected data worldwide and is helping to understand the global ocean-atmosphere system. Among these, the deep sea is still largely unknown. Behind the scenes of the construction of the SEALEVEL exhibition.
© Jana Koerth
People are scurrying through Obere Holstenstraße, the shopping street of Kiel. It is not bad weather, but it's not great either. I am on my way to SEALEVEL. Kiel Marketing is currently setting up the exhibition, which was originally designed for a different venue. Back then, I was involved in approaching potential partners, but everything was still very theoretical. Today, Dr Mark Lenz from GEOMAR will introduce the SEALEVEL staff to the deep sea and related topics at a preparatory meeting.
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Everything about the oceans and the Marine Conservation City of Kiel:
SEALEVEL is an exhibition on marine conservation and research that is currently being created. Janine Streu and Jonas Godau, who are city centre managers at Kiel Marketing, are now collaborating with Innopilot to organise the exhibition. They have brought the concept to life. Jonas is leading the small group through the space, which at this point is a mixture of a construction site and a collection of exhibits. At the entrance, visitors are standing above the water, towards the back of the room, the depths of the sea gets deeper and deeper. This will also be reflected in the flooring in a few days' time. Someone will always be present and approachable in the exhibition, and today's event can probably be described as a handover. The scientist will give the small group an introduction to the exhibits. This is a central idea of the whole exhibition: you will be able to learn about marine sciences from Kiel in perhaps an unexpected place.
“Speaking of depths, over the next hour I will be marvelling at the depths of Mark's brain, from which he will pull out all this information.”
Dr Jana Koerth
‘70% of the planet's surface is covered by water,’ says Mark, pointing to an unusual globe on which the topography can be seen and felt. When people think of the sea, they tend to think of the coast, but the sea is so much more than that. ‘On average, the ocean is 4,000 metres deep,’ says the marine scientist, running his hand over the hilly ocean landscape. ‘The terrain drops off sharply on the continental slopes.’ The vast ocean plain is criss-crossed with trenches and mountains, as can clearly be seen. When we think of marine research, we often imagine divers collecting data underwater. However, apart from a few exceptions, humans can only dive to a depth of around 100 metres, and then only with special gas mixtures. This is nothing compared to the vast water column of the ocean!
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Dr Jana Koerth,
column SEA LIGHTS:
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Five young women and I, let's say middle-aged, are now enjoying an excellent deep-sea lecture. Speaking of depths, over the next hour I will be marvelling at the depths of Mark's brain, from which he will pull out all this information. And it's super exciting! "Research in the deep sea is just as inhumane as space exploration," Mark explains. You have to have special equipment and diving into the deep sea is mainly only possible with unmanned equipment.
“All processes down there are much slower than on land. If there is any intervention in the deep sea, such as the mining of manganese nodules, it takes nature a very long time to regenerate.”
Dr Mark Lenz
We are standing in front of an exhibit with a slope on which we can see examples of research equipment and animal species from different depths. 'You can see all the plant life here on the surface,' says the GEOMAR researcher, pointing to the top of the display case. 'All life below is dependent on what sinks.' Sperm whales can dive the deepest as they are homothermic organisms; they hunt for squid there. All other animals in the deep sea are cold-blooded. At the very bottom of the deep sea, the water temperature is constant at four degrees, and no light penetrates the high water column. ‘All processes down there are much slower than on land. If there is any intervention in the deep sea, such as the mining of manganese nodules, it takes nature a very long time to regenerate.”
Therefore, GEOMAR is also debating wether deep-sea mining — the extraction of minerals from the deep sea — is morally justifiable. Are humans allowed to do that? What about the fact that we know very little about the deep sea? Mark then moves on to discuss climate change, the ocean's uptake of CO², and the possibilities and limits of geoengineering — that is to say, technical measures to slow down climate change.
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World Ocean Review – Manganese nodules and other resources from the sea
The Baltic Sea does not have a deep sea; on average, it is only about 50–60 metres deep. Only in a few places it is deeper. Its maximum depth is 456 metres. ‘It lies like a puddle on a continental shelf and is surrounded by land masses, only connecting to the wider ocean via a small channel. The inflow of freshwater and nutrients from the surrounding land masses is significant.’ These are ideal conditions for planktonic microalgae, which thrive in this brackish sea, even on our doorstep. When the algae die, they sink to the bottom and are decomposed by bacteria, which consume the last remaining oxygen on the seabed. This creates hostile conditions, and in some cases dead zones form. These areas can only be revived if water flows in from the North Sea,’ Mark explains. Clearly, the special situation in the Baltic Sea is partly natural and partly man-made. Another peculiarity is that, unlike other places in the world with tidal ranges of up to 18 metres, we only have 20 centimetres between high and low tide on our doorstep. 'This makes the Baltic Sea an ideal area for water sports,' adds Mark, as we look towards the corner where exhibits relating to the Ocean Race Europe will soon be placed.
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Devices are used to explore the seabed. Some are set down on the seabed, while others float through the sea. One such device is the glider, which moves through the water autonomously. It can descend and resurface, and collect data on water depth, temperature, salt content, oxygen concentration and chlorophyll a content. From time to time, it ascends and transmits its data to the control centre via satellite. When it runs out of power, it sends a final signal so that the researchers can retrieve it. I like the yellow device. Gliders provide marine researchers with information on bodies of water and currents such as the Gulf Stream, which plays a central role in the climate of Central Europe. This data provides a three-dimensional image of the ocean. Allowing the glider to collect data independently is much more efficient than collecting information using samples from ships.
Mark has another small unit on plastic waste in the sea, which in many marine areas consists mainly of household waste. The audience wondered how to get people to dispose of their waste properly and not throw it away carelessly. ‘Especially by raising awareness,’ answers Mark, ‘like in your SEALEVEL exhibition.’ An addendum: It's not your exhibition, that's what makes it special, it's a joint exhibition in which we show what Kiel has to offer in terms of the sea and marine research together with the Kiel research institutions GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel University and Kiel University of Applied Sciences.
The SEALEVEL shows how beautiful and exciting the sea is, but also the challenges it faces. Discover exciting exhibits, interesting scientific information and interactive stations that illustrate how important the ocean is for our lives.
Holstenstraße 2-12, 24103 Kiel
Website:
www.sealevel.de
Dr Mark Lenz
Research areas:
• Effects of light pollution on coastal benthic systems
• Microplastics in the marine environment
• Invasive species in marine benthic systems
• Abiotic and biotic factors controlling the structure and diversity of hardbottom communities
• Plant-herbivore interactions in benthic systems
• Fouling and biological antifouling defences
© Dr. Jana Koerth
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