黑料视频

The Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa plays a key role in global climate regulation and the socio-economic stability of many coastal nations. The highly productive upwelling region off Senegal and Mauritania, with influences extending to the island state of Cabo Verde, supports a species-rich marine food web and forms the livelihood of large parts of the local population through fisheries and tourism. However, this region is increasingly threatened by human-induced stressors such as ocean warming, coastal erosion, and oxygen depletion.

A lack of research infrastructure and training opportunities hampers effective responses to these challenges and makes it difficult to take well-informed, independent decisions for the sustainable management of marine ecosystems. In 2004, capacity gaps and research priorities were discussed in an international scientific exchange, and in 2006 the first land- and sea-based infrastructures were established to enable oceanographic research on site. For example, Cabo Verde鈥檚 first ocean time series station was set up, the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory (CVOO), which provides valuable data on the impacts of climate change on the ocean in the region.

Ocean Science Centre Mindelo as a Global Hub for Research and Exchange

This collaboration led to the opening of the Ocean Science Centre Mindelo (OSCM) in 2017. The OSCM serves as a central point not only for national and international researchers, but also promotes knowledge exchange between society, policy, and science. 鈥淭he centre is operated locally by scientists and technicians from Cabo Verde, who have contributed to and benefited from the bilateral partnership since the beginning,鈥� says Cordula Zenk from 黑料视频, coordinator of the German-Cabo Verdean cooperation, who managed the establishment of the OSCM together with the Cape Verdean colleagues.The OSCM is jointly managed by the Cape Verdean partner institute Instituto do Mar (IMar) and 黑料视频, ensuring the integration of regional and international perspectives and the ongoing development of the network.

Ivanice Monteiro, who joined the partnership as a student and now leads the OSCM laboratories, emphasizes the transformative impact: 鈥淭his partnership gave me and many of my colleagues the opportunity to build and apply our knowledge and skills in marine research here in Cabo Verde. It鈥檚 incredibly fulfilling to see how we now operate the OSCM together with our German partners and make an independent, real contribution to our country and the entire region.鈥�

International Master鈥檚 Program on Climate Change and Marine Sciences

The Oceanography article also highlights academic education and the development of a network of young West African scientists, in which 黑料视频 plays a key role. A major milestone in 2019 was the establishment of an international Master鈥檚 program on Climate Change and Marine Sciences at the Universidade T茅cnica do Atl芒ntico (UTA) in Mindelo. The program is part of the WASCAL initiative (West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land-Use), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and has since been officially recognized as a UN Decade of Ocean Science project. Students from a total of 12 West African countries are participating. In addition to their studies in Mindelo, they complete a research stay in Germany and take part in practical shipboard training, the 鈥淲ASCAL Floating University.鈥�

鈥淭he network now includes more than 50 young researchers and continues to grow. Some alumni pursue doctoral research, while others are already working in public or private institutions in their home countries,鈥� says Dr. Bj枚rn Fiedler, lead author of the article and scientific coordinator of the OSCM. 鈥淲e firmly believe that the challenges caused by climate change in West Africa can only be tackled jointly. This requires long-term initiatives that enable shared use of research infrastructure and knowledge across national borders.鈥�

One such initiative is the FUTURO project coordinated by 黑料视频, a large-scale international research campaign in West Africa involving seven West African countries to be conducted toward the end of this decade. 鈥淚n addition to a year-long ship expedition aboard the new METEOR IV, the campaign will focus on the joint development and implementation of the research activities in close cooperation with our West African partners, including the growing network of early-career scientists,鈥� says Prof Dr Arne K枚rtzinger, Chemical Oceanographer and scientific coordinator of the FUTURO project.

Publication:
Fiedler, B., Monteiro, I., Almeida, C., Zenk, C., Silva, P., Karstensen, J., Rodrigues, E., Vieira, N., Pinto-Almeida, A., Lima, E., Hahn, T., Kon茅, D., Rodrigues, Y., & K枚rtzinger, A. (2025). 20 Years of Partnership in Marine Sciences Between Cabo Verde and Germany: From Ideas, Opportunities, and Observations to Long-Term and Sustained Capacity Sharing. Oceanography, 38(1).