The uniqueness of this area stems from being one of the marine areas that reacts the fastest to climate change and human impacts, making it an early warning system for the future state of the oceans
The Eastern Mediterranean is proving to be an extraordinary natural laboratory for studying the future of the oceans in the age of global warming. Based on this understanding, the EMSFORE (Future Ocean Research Eastern Mediterranean Sea) project was founded - a strategic collaboration between School of Marine Sciences at Haifa University to the German GEOMAR Institute from the Helmholtz network.
The project, centered at the University of Haifa, combines the international expertise of the GEOMAR Institute with the deep knowledge accumulated at the University of Haifa about the Eastern Mediterranean. The uniqueness of this area stems from being one of the marine areas that reacts the fastest to climate change and human impacts, making it an early warning system for the future state of the oceans.
The joint research team, numbering about 25 researchers, male and female students, operates under the leadership of Prof. Ilana Berman-Frank from the University of Haifa and Prof. Eric Achterberg from GEOMAR. The research encompasses diverse aspects of the marine system - from physics to ecology, focusing on the past, present and future of the region.
In September 2024, a comprehensive workshop was held in Kiel, Germany, which included:
- Presentation of research progress
- Strategic planning for the next two and a half years
- Analysis of the findings of the M197 research cruise
- Training in advanced technologies
- Professional tours of the institute's facilities
Beyond the professional aspects, the workshop strengthened international ties through diverse social activities, from trips to immersion in the fjord. This combination of scientific excellence and human connection ensures the continued success of the project and its contribution to understanding the future of the oceans.
The discoveries and insights yielded by this unique collaboration place the University of Haifa at the forefront of global oceanographic research, and promise a significant contribution to understanding the effects of climate change on the marine environment.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
- The earliest evidence of aquaculture 3,500 years ago - in the eastern Mediterranean
- The floor of the eastern Mediterranean preserves an ancient ocean
- The drought in the eastern Mediterranean - the worst in the last 900 years
- The risk of strong earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean is higher than previously estimated
- The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is 100 million years younger than what was believed until now
