On July 8, this year's Hector Fellow Academy Symposium was broadcast live from Bremen, Germany
The event titled "Expeditions into the Unknown" gave an insight into two very different fascinating habitats that are isolated, but where the dramatic consequences of climate change are already very recognizable: Deep Sea and Arctic.
In her lecture, Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius (Professor at the University of Bremen and Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven) dived into the diversity of life forms and seascapes hiding in the deep sea and explored the functions this hardly explored world has for the earth and life.
In the lecture by Prof. Dr. Markus Rex (head of the Arctic expedition MOSAiC and the department of atmospheric physics at the Alfred Wegener Institute), the journey continued above the water surface into one of the coldest regions on earth: His lecture reported on the largest Arctic expedition to date, MOSAiC. In October 2019, the research icebreaker Polarstern allowed itself to be frozen solid in the Arctic sea ice, in order to drift through the central Arctic for an entire year using only the force of natural ice drift. The results are fascinating, but also frightening, as they already reveal the consequences of climate change.
Despite dealing with threatening prospects, the core message of the evening was an optimistic one that emphasized the need for action. Markus Rex pleaded for using the "short window of opportunity to still save the Arctic summer ice" to prevent fatal chains of events in the climate system. Antje Boetius stressed the importance of joint action: "Only cohesion will get us further. Sharing knowledge and looking ahead to conquer the future. That would be my wish."
Science journalist and television presenter Dirk Steffens, who has won several awards for his science, nature and travel formats, moderated the event.
Please note that Prof. Dr. Rex's lecture is only available until July 16, 2021.