Professor Dr Katja Matthes welcomed the Minister Presidents of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, and Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther, at the Kiel Wellingdorf jetty. Photo: Sarah Uphoff

A woman and two men are posing for a photo in front of a buildingn Foto

Following their joint cabinet meeting, Minister-President Daniel Günther (left) and Minister-President Hendrik Wüst visited GEOMAR, where they were welcomed by Director Katja Matthes. Photo: Sarah Uphoff

A group of people walk towards the entrance of a building

In the new GEOMAR building on the east shore of the Kiel Fjord, Director Katja Matthes welcomed the cabinets of Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia. Photo: Sarah Uphoff

A woman and two men stand in front of a yellow underwater boat

The Minister-Presidents of Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia learnt about ocean and climate research at GEOMAR. Photo: Sarah Uphoff

A row of politicians sits in a conference room

At GEOMAR the ministers from North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein received first-hand information on the possibilities of marine carbon extraction. Photo: Sarah Uphoff, GEOMAR

A woman gives a presentation in a conference hall

Professor Dr Katja Matthes informed the politicians about the state of research on the role of the ocean in the fight against climate change. Photo: Sarah Uphoff, GEOMAR

Minister-Presidents Hendrik Wüst and Daniel Günther visit GEOMAR

Lecture and discussion on the role of the ocean in the fight against climate change

17/09/2024/Kiel. The Minister-Presidents of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein, Hendrik Wüst and Daniel Günther, accompanied by other cabinet members, visited GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel today. The visit followed a joint cabinet meeting of the state governments of Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia in Kiel.

Professor Dr Katja Matthes, Director of GEOMAR, gave a presentation on the role of the ocean in the fight against climate change and presented recent research results. Following the lecture, the ministers were informed about marine methods to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. “Our first priority must be to reduce emissions quickly and drastically. The ocean is reaching its limits, as the recent record temperatures in the Atlantic show. For the remaining emissions that are difficult to avoid, GEOMAR is exploring ocean-based options that could help remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere,” explained Katja Matthes.

Minister-President Daniel Günther: “As a region between the seas, our area is particularly affected by climate change and rising sea levels. The need for action has become clear to us since the storm surge in the Baltic Sea. GEOMAR is an important partner and advisor in helping us to prepare for such events in the future and to set political priorities. Our goal is to become the first climate-neutral industrialised country by 2040. To achieve this, we rely on important impulses from science and research”.

Minister-President Hendrik Wüst: “The fight against climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. As an industrial state, North Rhine-Westphalia has a special responsibility to drive forward the search for the best solutions. The exchange with centres of excellence like GEOMAR shows us how important scientific research and the resulting innovations are for achieving our climate goals. GEOMAR is doing pioneering work that will help to maintain our industrial base and at the same time create sustainable solutions for future generations”.

Research is investigating various approaches to targeted carbon dioxide removal. These are being investigated in the CDRmare research mission under the umbrella of the German Alliance for Marine Research (DAM), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). “The theoretical potential of these tools is enormous, but we must ensure that their use does not have a negative impact on the ecosystem. We need to protect the ocean from further threats. That is why we are committed to joint research missions with strong partners to comprehensively and systematically investigate these approaches,” Katja Matthes continued.

Seagrass meadows as natural climate protectors

One approach is to restore seagrass meadows, which store many times more CO₂ in the soil than forests on land. They also protect coastlines by slowing waves and stabilising the sandy seabed with their roots. Seagrass beds provide shelter and food for marine animals, increasing marine biodiversity. They can also filter pathogens from the water. About 60 per cent of the seagrass meadows in the Baltic Sea that existed at the beginning of the 19th century have already been lost. Researchers at GEOMAR are investigating how seagrass meadows can be replanted.

CO₂ storage in the seabed

GEOMAR is also investigating the conditions under which carbon can be stored in the seabed (Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS). CCS involves injecting carbon dioxide into porous rock formations, where it reacts with minerals in the rock and is chemically neutralised. In recent years, research has focused on quantifying the storage capacity of the German North Sea and analysing the associated risks and opportunities. Over the next three years, researchers will study the environmental conditions in a selected area of the North Sea and develop monitoring techniques for a potential CO2 storage site.

Enhancing the CO₂ uptake of the ocean

Researchers are also investigating methods to increase the alkalinity of the ocean. These methods mimic and accelerate the natural process of rock weathering by adding alkaline solutions or minerals such as silicate or carbonate in the form of rock dust to seawater. This increases the alkalinity of the ocean, thereby improving its ability to absorb and bind carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Researchers are investigating whether these approaches can enhance the ocean's natural uptake of CO2, and what risks or benefits they might have.