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-Newsletter

TOPICS

New research topic 1

City hall reception for GAME 2

Research started at 5 sites 2

Inside GAME 3

GAME tests remote teaching 4

More about Bogor 4

10 years of global research 5

GAME says THANK YOU 5

Imprint 6

Two previous GAME projects revealed that

invasive species are more tolerant towards

environmental stress than comparable

native species. Furthermore, and this was

a surprise, we found that invasive popula-

tions of cosmopolitan species are more

resistant than native populations. There-

fore, pronounced differences in tolerance

towards stress do not only exist between

different species, but also between popu-

lations of the same species. One possible

explanation for this observation is that

adverse conditions during transport, e.g.

in the ballast water tanks of cargo vessels,

select for stress tolerant genotypes among

the translocated individuals. As a conse-

quence, the frequency of robust geno-

types rises in the non-native population

that is going to arrive in the target area.

This should lead to an increase in the pop-

ulation’s mean resistance towards stress.

The 10th GAME project is going to test the

relevance of this mechanism. Our study

question is: Are groups of marine inverte-

brates, which have previously been ex-

posed to environmental stress, more ro-

bust than naïve groups? To test this, the

GAME teams will experimentally expose

groups of, e.g., mussels, barnacles, ascidi-

ans or shore crabs to stressful conditions

for several weeks. Mortality during this

time should change the genetic structure

of the groups and by this also their overall

robustness. A subsequent evaluation will

then verify whether pre-stressed groups

show a higher resistance towards stress

than non-stressed groups.

01/2012

GAME (Global Approach by Modular Experi-

ments) is an international research and stu-

dent training programme in marine ecology.

Undergraduate students are invited to ac-

complish their Master projects in its frame-

work, while they benefit from the internatio-

nal exchange and the comprehensive

teaching modules offered in GAME. GAME is

based at GEOMAR|Helmholtz Centre for

Ocean Research Kiel and collaborates with 33

marine research institutions in more than 20

countries.

New topic: Why are invasive species so stress tolerant?

The GAME network

Another common invader in many coastal eco-

systems: The crab Pachygrapsus marmoratus.

Photo: Marie Garcia

The slipper limpit Crepidula fornicata is an invasive

mollusc in Europe. Photo: Mark Lenz

GAME participant Yasser Ahmed takes water samp-

les in the harbour of Jakarta. Photo: Armin Fabritzek

2

GAME KEEPS GROWING

In 2013 the GAME research

network will welcome a new

partner. Since 2008 GAME col-

laborates successfully with the

University of Hongkong and is

now about to invite a second

partner from China. The Ocean

University of China is located in

Qingdao/Shandong province

and is directly adjacent to the

Yellow Sea.

In 2012 GAME teams conduct research

work in Finland (Tvaerminne near Hanko),

Portugal (Lisbon), Indonesia (Bogor), Bra-

zil (Niteroi) and Chile (Coquimbo). While

four of the five sites have been hosting

teams already several times, the Universi-

ty of Lisbon is new in the game. Here, at

the Center of Oceanography, Dr. Joao

Canning-Clode is supervising projects

from this year on. Though the site is new,

the supervisor is an old stager. Dr. Can-

ning-Clode took part in GAME when he

was studying biology on the island of

Madeira and he has already supervised

two GAME projects during his post-doc

period at the Smithsonian Environmental

Center in Maryland, USA. Now he brought

GAME back to Portugal. The research

facilities are located 30 km from the cen-

ter of Lisbon in Guia-Cascais, directly at

the Atlantic coast, and provide a perfect

research environment for GAME.

“GAME plays an important role in internationalizing research and teaching in Kiel.” Rainer Tschorn, vice president of the Kiel city council

City hall reception for GAME students

These year’s research projects take place at 5 sites

City council vice president Rainer Tschorn

welcomed the group of GAME partici-

pants in the name of the Schleswig-

Holstein capital. On this occasion, he em-

phasized the unique character of the

programme and recognized its contribu-

tion to the international academic life of

the city. Kiel is hosting GAME for ten

years now and during this time 130 stu-

dents from more than 20 different coun-

tries came to see the place when they

joined GAME activities at GEOMAR.

GAME participants with city council vice president

Rainer Tschorn (m). Photo: Jan Steffen

The Center of Oceanography in Guia-Cascais overviews the sea like a medieval fortress. Photo: Marie Garcia The harbour of Qingdao. In the next year, the

Chinese metropolis will host a GAME project.

Photo: Mark Lenz

3

IFM-GEOMAR IS NOW

GEOMAR

Since January 1st 2012 the for-

mer IFM-GEOMAR is member

of the Helmholtz Association

and changed its name to

GEOMAR|Helmholtz Centre for

Ocean Research Kiel.

For us GAME X started on March 5th when

the international group of participants first

gathered for a welcome breakfast at

GEOMAR. We are five German students

and one from Brazil, Chile, Portugal and

Indonesia, respectively. Unfortunately, no

local student was found in Finland to com-

plete the team, so that poor Daniel is facing

his fate as a lonely wolf out in the Finnish

woods during this summer. This first get-

together was the starting point of a four-

weeks-long preparation phase that trained

us for our experiments.

During the first days, we had some time to

get to know each other and our new base

at GEOMAR in Kiel. A tour around the deep

sea research facilities and the vessel fleet

informed us about the scope of the insti-

tute, while a reception in the Kiel city hall

gave us a first impression of the place that

will be our home during four months in

2012. The following weeks were packed

with paper-reviews and paper-content-

presentations, discussions and exchange of

information that brought us closer and

closer to our research topic. Furthermore,

we were taught the basics of how to use

statistics in ecology and we had a first en-

counter with the free statistical computing

software “R“. Most importantly, we dis-

cussed the “perfect experiment“– which,

unfortunately, does not exist. To test the

practicability of the approach we finally

chose, we started a test-experiment with

Baltic seastars (Asterias rubens) in the cli-

mate chambers of GEOMAR. The test also

provided a first glimpse into the challenges

we will face during the practical part.

A highlight of the course was the excursion

to Maasholm at the Schlei Fjord, where we

also visited the landscape management

project in the Geltinger Birk. The latter is a

unique attempt to restore a large brackish

lagoon at the German Baltic sea coast, a

habitat type that almost became extinct

during past centuries.

The month passed very fast and finally we

had developed a conceptual framework for

our experiments and decided – after in-

tense discussions - on the workflow for all

teams. Now it is time to leave Kiel after this

instructive first weeks to get prepared for

our new tasks at the different localities.

Last but not least we want to thank Mark,

Martin and the whole GAME team for hav-

ing instructed us so well. Sail ahoy, until

October!

Inside GAME: Participants write about the introductory course in March

2012.

By Sandra Eichhorn, Marie Garcia und Lisa Oberschelp

Project manager Nils Kobarg (r) explains the Geltinger

Birk restoration concept.

Photo: Mark Lenz

Kelp is an unfamiliar beach finding for Yasser Ahmed

from Indonesia. Photo: Mark Lenz

Snorkeling at 5°C was a new experience for Felipe

Ribeiro (r) from Brazil.

The museum in Damp. Geologist Johannes Janssen (r)

illustrates the formation of sandy coastlines.

You need to take a careful look. Collecting fossils at

the Schönghagen sand cliff.

All photos: Mark Lenz

4

GAME is testing remote teaching

GAME teaching modules are time-tested

and optimized during numerous projects

during the last ten years. We are now

looking for ways to let also non-GAME

students at our partner institutes partici-

pate in GAME-proven courses, especially

in those that deal with experimental

design and biostatistics. During April

2012, there was a test run in remote

teaching together with our Indonesian

partner, the Bogor Agricultural Universi-

ty. Participants of the Marine Science

and Technology Training Course (MST),

which takes place in Bogor once a year,

dealt with the question “How to design a

successful experiment?”. Furthermore,

they received a comprehensive introduc-

tion into the free statistical computing

software “R”. All the materials were sent

from Kiel by email, while local support

was provided by Dr. Karen von Juter-

zenka, our scientific partner in Bogor,

and Mareike Huhn, a former GAME-

participant, who will now do the practi-

cal part of her PhD project in Bogor.

Questions by the course participants

were broadcasted to Kiel by email or

internet chat and were immediately

answered by Dr. Mark Lenz, who co-

tutored this pilot project. The test run

was successful, so that we will now de-

velop new and modify existing contents

for remote teaching at our partner insti-

tutes.

More about Bogor

GAME participant Mareike Huhn success-

fully applied for a scholarship granted by

the German Academic Exchange Service

(DAAD). She is now continuing her re-

search work on the tropical greenlip mus-

sel Perna viridis, which she started during

her GAME time in Bogor in 2010, as a

PhD student. Furthermore, in April 2012,

Kiel student Giannina Hattich finished her

internship, during which she worked on

further aspects of the stress ecology of

Perna viridis. This work was also based on

previous GAME studies conducted by

Nurina Ayu, Ramadian Bachtiar, Mareike

Huhn and Carolin Wendling in 2009 and

2010. Due to these projects, Perna viridis

became the pet of the marine lab in Bo-

gor, but the attention the scientists dedi-

cate to this organism is justified by its

relevance as an important coastal ecosys-

tem engineer and aquaculture organism.

Dr. Karen von Juterzenka (m) with MST students in

Bogor. Photo: Mareike Huhn

Harvest of greenlip mussels in the Bay of Jakarta.

Photo: Armin Fabritzek

The greenlip mussel Perna viridis is an important

aquaculture organism in Indonesia.

Photo: Mareike Huhn

GAME on Facebook

Social media become more and more

important – also for communicating

science and for networking research-

ers. GAME therefore launched its

own Facebook page one year ago.

There we are now frequently posting

new information about the pro-

gramme and the GAME activities go-

ing on in Kiel and at our partner sta-

tions. The contents can be shared and

commented by others. Visit us on

Facebook!

www.facebook.com/GAME.GEOMAR

5

“GAME offers young marine researchers the opportunity to join an excellent science network and to achieve topical research results at an early stage of their career.” Professor Dr. Gerhard Graf, University of Rostock

In 2012 GAME completes the first dec-

ade of global modular research in marine

ecology. To celebrate this anniversary,

we plan several activities during the se-

cond half of the year. In talks and exhibi-

tions, we want to outline what has been

achieved and we want to look into the

future of the programme. What will be

the research topics of the next decade?

How can we find new research partners

especially in regions were basic ecologi-

cal research is not well established? How

can we enthuse students and supporters

for GAME in coming years? The activities

start with an information desk on the

research vessel Alkor during the Kiel

Week on June 22nd 2012. All further

events will also be announced on our

website and on Facebook.

This year, two further maritime compa-

nies based in the north of Germany

became GAME supporters. HATLAPA

(Marine Equipment, Uetersen) and Hy-

drotechnik Lübeck (Marine Water Engi-

neering) granted full sponsorships to

GAME students. Furthermore, many of

last year’s supporters continued their

commitment: mare Verlags GmbH,

Lighthouse Foundation and Okeanos –

Foundation for the Seas. They also pro-

vided full sponsorships. In addition to

the students’ budget, Lighthouse Foun-

dation and GEOMAR together finance

the position of the GAME coordinator in

2012. Donations by Hydro-Bios, Terra-

water, K.U.M., Contros, Oktopus GmbH

(all in Kiel) and Schramm Group

(Brunsbüttel) completed the budget for

this year.

GAME and all participants say THANK

YOU FOR THE FANTASTIC SUPPORT!

GAME still seeks supporters for the next

global project in 2013.

GAME celebrates 10 years of global modular research

Fundraising: Old and new supporters make global research and student

exchange possible in 2012

GAME invites students:

Apply now for 2013!

Students looking for a Master project

in marine ecology are invited to apply

for GAME 2013. Applying is easy: Visit

our website, download the application

form, fill it in, attach a CV and cover

letter and return the application to the

GAME coordination office. In case of

questions, please contact us by email

or phone. Here are the answers to 3

important FAQs: 1. GAME projects fully

comply to the curricula of German MSc

studies in the field of biology, ecology

and environmental sciences. 2. GAME

participants remain enrolled at their

home unis. 3. Due to the specific focus

of the programme, GAME is not over-

crowed!

A long time since.... The first (northern hemisphere)

GAME group in spring 2003. The southern

hemisphere group started already 6 months earlier.

Photo: Markus Molis

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The GAME newsletter is issued twice a year and informs students,

scientists and the public about latest developments in the pro-

gramme and our research work. All previous newsletters can be

downloaded from our webpage: www.geomar/go/game.de

The next GAME newsletter appears in November 2012.

The newsletter

GAME

Head

Prof. Dr. Martin Wahl Telefon: (0431) 600-4500 Telefax: (0431) 600-1671 mwahl@geomar.de

Coordination

Dr. Mark Lenz Telefon: (0431) 600-4575 Telefax: (0431) 600-1671 mlenz@geomar.de www.geomar.de/go/game www.facebook.com/GAME.GEOMAR

Our scientific output -

publications of the last 12 months: Kubicek A, Bessho K, Nakaoka M, Wahl M, Lenz M (2011): Inducible defence and its modu-

lation by environmental stress in the red alga Chondrus yendoi (Yamada and Mikami in

Mikami, 1965) from Honshu Island, Japan. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and

Ecology 397: 208-213.

Sareyka J, Kraufvelin P, Lenz M, Lindström M, Tollrian R, Wahl M (2011). Differences in

stress tolerance and brood size between a non-indigenous and an indigenous gammarid in

the northern Baltic Sea. Marine Biology 158: 2001-2008

Wahl M, Link H, Alexandridis N, Thomason JC, Cifuentes M et al. (2011) Re-structuring of

marine communities exposed to environmental change: a global study on the interactive

effects of species and functional richness. PLoS One 6: 1-9

Lenz M, da Gama BAP, Gerner NV, Gobin J, Groener F et al. (2011) Non-native marine

invertebrates are more tolerant towards environemental stress than taxonomically related

native species. Results from a globally replicated study. Environmental Research 111: 943-

952

Gröner F, Lenz M, Wahl M, Jenkins SR (2011) Stress resistance in two colonial ascidians

from the Irish Sea: the recent invader Didemnum vexillum is more tolerant to low salinity

than the cosmopolitan Diplosoma listerianum. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and

Ecology 409: 48-52