The corona pandemic also concerns the German research fleet. And the ICBM is affected as well. Deep sea research vessel „SONNE“ e.g., for which ICBM acts as a home institution, was forced to abort its current mission through the Indian Ocean near South Africa due to the recent events around covid-19. After a short stopover in Capetown, RV SONNE is by now on its way to Germany.

For RV MARIA S. MERIAN, all cruises planned from 18 March to 21 June had to be cancelled and MERIAN as well is en route to Germany. This, for instance, affects ICBM planktologist Dr. Christoph Plum, who was scheduled to take part in MSM090 for his research work. This cruise leg and those following now have been postponed sine die.

For a three-headed research team around Prof. Dr. Bettina Meyer, holder of the joint professorship „Biodiversity and Biological Processes in Polar Oceans“ at the University of Oldenburg, together with the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, it yet remained unclear how and when they would be able to return to Germany.

Summary report of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM).