Description: From mid November 1975 till mid May 1976 an integrated research programme has been carried out in the Atlantic sector of the Antarctic between 68°West and 14°East and 50° and 60°South by means of the FRV "Walther Herwig" and FMS "Weser". Data on krill and krill larvae have been gathered concerning frequency, horizontal and vertical distribution with respect to the krill biology. Furthermore hydrographical data on the environmental conditions have been recorded. The problems of locating and catching the krill have been solved to a large extent. The processing of krill and the development of krill products has been tested bt a great number of different technologies. The investigations have been concentrated on the developaent of the products for human consumption. Besides krill, antarctic fishes have been caught, investigated and partly processed.

Description: Die Polarmeere der Arktis und Antarktis sind geprägt durch das Vorkommen von Meereis, das einen eigenen Lebensraum darstellt und das auch die Ökosysteme des Freiwassers und des Meeresbodens stark beeinflusst. Die Lebensbedingungen im Nord- und Südpolarmeer unterscheiden sich deutlich als Folge der Unterschiede ihrer geographischen Lage, des jeweiligen Lichtregimes und der Meereisbedeckung. Aufgrund ihrer unterschiedlichen Vereisungs- und Besiedlungsgeschichte steht der jungen, artenarmen arktischen Fauna eine alte, artenreiche antarktische Fauna gegenüber. Der Klimawandel ist im Nordpolarmeer und auch an der Antarktischen Halbinsel besonders deutlich. Hier schrumpft die sommerliche Eisbedeckung dramatisch und auch das mehrjährige Dauereis schwindet. Dies beeinträchtigt die Meereislebensgemeinschaften und ihre assoziierte Fauna und hat weitreichende Konsequenzen für das polare Plankton und Benthos. Impacts of climate change on polar seas The polar seas in the Arctic and Antarctic are characterized by extreme cold and the prevalence of sea ice, which provides a unique polar habitat but also strongly affects the pelagic and benthic biota beneath. Life conditions for the marine fauna and flora differ considerably between the Arctic and Southern Oceans, as a result of contrasts in geography, geological history, as well as seasonal dynamics in light regime, sea ice cover and, hence, biological production. Climate change is particularly obvious in the Arctic Ocean and off the Antarctic Peninsula where warming results in a rapid shrinkage of the summer sea ice cover. Such decline threatens the sea-ice communities and their associated fauna and will also have far reaching effects for the plankton and benthos of the polar seas.

Description: As founding director of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, as well as the Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology in Bremen, the author has made a significant contribution towards the development of Bremen/Bremerhaven as a scientific research location. As an observer and co-creator of German marine research in the past decades, the author describes from a biographical point of view the development of institutes and cooperations as well as the deployment of research ships from the 1950s into the new millennium.

Description: Anhand von Beispielen aus der Literatur und eigenen Untersuchungen werden einige Arbeitsgebiete experimenteller Forschung in der marinen Fischereibiologie besprochen. Neben den Laborexperimenten in Versuchsaquarien spielen Versuche in großen Freilandbecken und abgeschlossenen Gewässern sowie Markierungen, Vergleichsfischereien und Unterwasserbeobachtungen in See eine große Rolle. In vielen Fällen kann der Meeresbiologe auf Erfahrungen an Süßwasserfischen zurückgreifen. Einen breiten Raum nehmen ökologische und physiologische Experimente zur Bestandskunde ein. Als Beispiele werden u. a. Aquarienversuche über die kontrollierte Befischung von Modellbeständen, die optimale Nahrungsauswertung bei Schollen und die Überlebensfähigkeit der Heringsbrut genannt, sowie die Markierungsexperimente zur Ermittlung von Bestandsgröße und Sterblichkeit bei den Jungheringen der östlichen Nordsee erwähnt. Der Verbesserung der Fangtechnik dienen z. B. die Aquarienversuche über die Hinderniswahrnehmung beim Hering. Am Beispiel der experimentellen Beeinflussung der Ringstrukturen auf den Heringsotolithen und der Modifizierbarkeit der Wirbelzahl wird die Bedeutung des Experiments zur Überprüfung der in der Fischereibiologie üblichen Untersuchungsverfahren gezeigt.

Description: The main aim of the "Atlantische Kuppenfahrt" of RV "Meteor" during the first half of 1967 was to carry out biological investigations on the large submarine seamounts off the Portuguese and West-African coast, the Josephine-Bank and the Great Meteor-Seamount. The three main subjects of interest were: a) the fauna of these isolated seamounts, b) the influence of the seamounts on the dayperiodical migration of the deep scattering layers (DSL), c) the relations between neuston and plankton of the euphotic zone. The present numbers 7 and 8 of the "Meteor Forschungsergebnisse" contain two reports of working groups "Benthos" and "Plankton" as well as four special contributions to the subjects mentioned before.

Description: During the Atlantic Seamount Cruises 9 a and 9 c of R.V. "Meteor" in 1967, planktological studies were carried out in cooperation with several German and foreign scientists. Investigations concerning the seamounts were carried out in the area of the Great Meteor and the Josephine Bank in the eastern North Atlantic focussed on the question as to how benthos organisms maintain their populations and whether an additional transport of meropelagic larvae from the neighbouring continental shelfs support these populations. Moreover, the influence of the seamounts on the distribution of plankton in the surface layer was studied. In particular, the following studies were carried out: Distribution of zooplankton in the surface water of the seamounts and near their bottom, distribution of neuston and fish larvae in the area of investigation, vertical migration of makroplankton in the upper 900 m during several anchor stations in the vicinity of the seamounts, vertical distribution of phytoplankton in the upper 100 m of the Meteor Bank, distribution of copepods in the Mediterranean deep water of the Atlantic (where this body of water was traced with the Bathysonde) and the quantitative distribution of zooplankton in deep scattering layers. - The sampling gear and its closing devices are described. The results of the investigations will be published in "Meteor" Forschungsergebnisse, Series D.