The German Marine Research Consortium congratulates Professor Dr Ulrich Bathmann on receiving the Federal Cross of Merit. We congratulate him on this special award, which recognises his outstanding commitment and valuable contribution to our association.
According to the Office of the Federal President, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier awarded Professor Dr Ulrich Bathmann the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on 9 January 2025 for his services to the exploration and protection of the seas and oceans. This includes, in particular, his tireless efforts as Director of the IOW and his great commitment as Chairman of the Board of the German Marine Research Consortium and on the Board of the German Marine Research Alliance. With his decades of work, he has made an important and significant contribution to the networking of marine research institutions in Germany and to their international visibility.
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Bathmann (born 1954) studied biology and oceanography, worked at various prestigious research institutions and travelled and explored the world's oceans on numerous expeditions. In 2011, he was appointed Director of the IOW and Professor of Earth System Research at the University of Rostock. During his tenure at the IOW until 2022, he further developed the institute's research profile in a cross-system and interdisciplinary manner for a global process understanding of coastal and marginal seas. He also contributed the expertise of the IOW as well as his personal expertise to numerous national and international scientific organisations and research committees, including the German section of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission UNESCO and the German Marine Research Consortium and into the German Alliance for Marine Research. In the latter two organisations, which play a key role in shaping the content and strategic direction of marine research in Germany, he is still active today as Chairman of the Board and on the Executive Board. As spokesman, he was also instrumental in establishing the Leibniz Science Campus Phosphorus Research in Rostock and the expansion of the department "Martime Systems" of the Interdisciplinary Faculty at the University of Rostock. Ulrich Bathmann continues to be involved in numerous committees whose work is focussed on promoting excellent science in the service of environmental and marine protection. Further information: https://www.io-warnemuende.de/ulrich-bathmann.html