Research Topics:
In Phase I the research was organized in two areas: (A) Greenhouse Ocean and (B) Ocean Resources and Risks covering 13 research topics (see figure) identified as having great potential to integrate existing Kiel Marine Science expertise and at the same time deliver new interdisciplinary marine research:

Greenhouse Ocean

• A1: Ocean Acidification
• A2: Seafloor Warming
• A3: Oceanic CO₂ Uptake
• A4: Ocean Circulation
• A5: CO₂ Sequestration
• A6: Sea Surface Chemistry
• A7: Valuing the Ocean

Resources and Risks

• B1: Fisheries and Overfishing
• B2: Marine Medicine
• B3: Seafloor Resources
• B4: Submarine Hazards at Continental Margins
• B5: Sea Level Rise and Coasts at Risk (2 JRG)
• B6: Law of the Sea

This structure proved its worth, establishing a critical interdisciplinary mass of active, successful marine scientists in Kiel and linking them across disciplinary boundaries. Nonetheless, inspired by our internal, European and international discussions on Grand Challenges for Marine Research, the approach to research topics has evolved towards a more issue driven and fully integrated research structure.
New Cluster research thus aims to connect Ocean System Understanding – Ocean Prediction and Scenarios – Sustainable Ocean Management and Governance while still addressing the three main ocean challenges: Global Change, Hazards and Resources.

Scientific progress is required in basic ocean system understanding, which will in turn enable us to better interpret past and ongoing changes and develop science-based predictions and scenarios. Based on this scientific information the prospects of, for example, future ocean uptake of CO₂, exploitation of an increasing number of ocean resources and their sustainable management and governance can be assessed. The development and assessment of science-based sustainable governance options poses specific requirements on the accuracy, timeliness and quality of ocean information, predictions and scenarios and basic understanding. This process then allows priorities to be determined for more basic marine science. The new structure of fully integrated research within the Cluster allows this feedback loop to operate between improved basic ocean system understanding, improved prediction and scenarios and improved ocean governance models (see Fig.).

The eleven new integrative, multidisciplinary research topics have been given descriptive titles:

R1: Our Common Future Ocean
R2: Ocean Governance
R3: Ocean Resources
R4: Ocean Innovation
R5: Ocean Sinks
R6: Dangerous Ocean
R7: Ocean Interfaces
R8: Evolving Ocean
R9: Ocean Controls
R10: Ocean Observations
R11: Predicted Ocean

Substantial Cluster funding will be provided to support these research topics in the form of postdoc and PhD researchers and additional interdisciplinary mini-proposals. In order to enhance the social sciences expert base new professorships in international law and environmental ethics are currently beeing established.