Public evening lecture by Professor Dr. Burkard Baschek (German Oceanographic Museum, Stralsund)

The energy of the large ocean currents is passed on in a cascade, first to large and then ever smaller ocean eddies. These eddies are closely interlinked with the currents in the sea. They ensure the transport of nutrients to the sea surface and thus make a decisive contribution to the productivity of the oceans. As important as the smaller eddies are for the oceans, they were overlooked for a long time. It was only through the simultaneous use of various innovative measuring methods that they could be detected and measured. The lecture is about the hunt for eddies in the sea using speedboats, airplanes, zeppelins and artificial penguins.

Burkard Baschek completed his doctorate at the University of Victoria in Canada in 2003. He then held various positions at the renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA) from 2003 to 2006. From 2007 to 2012, he was Assistant Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA). In 2012, he took over the management of the Institute for Coastal Research at the Helmholtz Center Hereon in Geesthacht. At the same time, he was awarded a professorship for coastal research and instrument development at Kiel University. He has been Director of the German Oceanographic Museum since 2021 and is responsible for marine research, science communication, exhibitions and aquariums.

Moderation: Professor Dr. Gabriele Uhl