Biodiversity Along The Coasts, Shores And In The Water: ‘Geo’ Calls All Amateur Researchers For Biodiversity Day 2006
What interesting creatures is the North Sea coast home to, aside from mussels, plaice and herring gulls? And how important are our coasts, tidal flats and oceans as shelters for rare species? Part of the coastline between Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven, along with other research areas both on and off the islands of Sylt and Helgoland will serve as representative samples in answering these questions on the occasion of the 8th annual "Geo" Biodiversity Day. On Jun 10, 2006, roughly 100 experts will search for as many different types of plants and animals as they can find during a 24-hour period.
The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Oceanic Research in Bremerhaven, famous for its scientific research on the Arctic and Antarctic, will be this year’s partner in the "Geo" Biodiversity Day. By participating in the event, the institute hopes to draw attention to its research on marine ecosystems of the shallow oceans and of coastal zones in moderate latitudes.
"Geo" editor-in-Chief Peter-Matthias Gaede commented ": "We are pleased to see so many experts participating in "Geo" Biodiversity Day, as this helps to draw attention to biodiversity. Last year’s numbers showed that we also reached laypeople interested in nature: 15,000 participants in over 380 individual projects was our absolute record to date."
The annual "Geo" Biodiversity Day is the single largest field research project in Central Europe. Participants have 24 hours to identify as many different plants and animals as possible within a specified area - something not only experts are capable of. "Geo" invites anyone interested in nature and protecting it to participate in the many activities organized on the day. Anyone who wishes to organize a specific project may register it with "Geo" on the Internet at www.geo.de/artenvielfalt .
