ElbeXtreme project meeting 2025 at MARUM

Interdisciplinary exchange for a better understanding of extreme marine events in the Elbe estuary Autor: Walter Menapace

On 12 and 13 May 2025, around 30 members of the ElbeXtreme consortium met in Bremen at MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences to take stock, exchange ideas and plan the next project steps after almost half of the first funding phase. Researchers and other project participants from the fields of oceanography, ecology, geosciences, modelling, data management, communication and transfer were present to exchange ideas about experiments, research trips, stakeholder participation and to engage in stimulating discussions about research results and their analysis.

The project participants pose for a group photo at MARUM.

The meeting not only provided space for reports and planning, but above all for genuine interdisciplinary collaboration. The focus was on questions such as:

• How can physical and biological measurements related to e.g. heat waves be meaningfully linked?

• What is the resilience of the marine ecosystem and the estuary in this regard?

• How is technology development influencing the planning of monitoring field campaigns?

• And how can complex research results be processed in such a way that they are understandable and usable for regional stakeholders from administration, business, and civil society?

The discussions impressively demonstrated the importance of close dialogue between the disciplines – from measurement concepts and modelling to knowledge transfer. The goal is a holistic understanding of extreme events and their consequences – and thus also improved preparation and adaptation in the affected regions.

Viktoria Wichert (Hereon) discusses different communication and transfer formats with the participants.

Greta Dekker (UNU-EHS) explains the impact of linked risks on ecosystems and how their assessment helps to adapt to extremes and take relevant decisions.

The conclusion after two days in Bremen: ElbeXtreme embodies the mission of mareXtreme – namely, to transcend disciplinary boundaries and understand science as a formative force in dealing with extreme events. The annual consortium meeting impressively demonstrated that the project team is not only moving forward with the project, but is also growing as a community.