ZMT - Leibniz Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung

COLDEMAR: New Colombian-German Platform on Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change

A new bilateral research initiative named COLDEMAR (Colombian-German Knowledge Platform for Tropical Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change) has started its operations. It is led by the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Germany, and the Colombian Institute for Marine Science and Limnology (INCIMAR) at the Universidad del Valle in Colombia.

COLDEMAR aims to strengthen scientific collaboration between Colombia and Germany to address urgent challenges at the intersection of tropical marine biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable development. By integrating natural and social sciences, the network will investigate ecosystem dynamics, improve climate predictions, and co-develop sustainability pathways with decision-makers and local communities.

Prof. Dr. Fernando Zapata, head of COLDEMAR within INCIMAR from the Univerdad del Valle says: "Through this alliance, German and Colombian scientists will join forces to discover new frontiers in socio-biological research, seeking innovative solutions to pressing biodiversity and climate change challenges in Latin America’s tropical marine and coastal ecosystems."

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) for an initial period of five years (2025 - 2030), COLDEMAR is designed to become a long-lasting, self-sustaining hub for international marine science cooperation. It introduces new shared infrastructures such as joint laboratories, field stations, pilot studies, and a trilingual communication platform. A key aim is also to expand scientific networks for both institutes in Colombia and Germany, creating long-term opportunities for collaboration across institutions and disciplines.

The project will be officially launched with a kick-off workshop in Bremen from 13 to 17 October 2025, where scientists and stakeholders will set research priorities, identify study sites in the Pacific and Caribbean and outline strategies for training early-career researchers and engaging local communities.

Dr. Sonia Bejarano, head of COLDEMAR partnership within ZMT, comments: "We at ZMT strive for forming and strengthening durable partnerships on the tropical coasts of the world, we are very happy to be officially launching COLDEMAR. We see this as the opportunity for both institutions to be a “home away from home” for one another. At ZMT we feel very fortunate to have a home with gates to the Caribbean and Pacific coasts and are beyond excited to team up with our INCIMAR colleagues to investigate them together."

COLDEMAR will be coordinated through a bi-national steering committee and two dedicated Partnership Managers who support collaboration across institutions and stakeholders. By establishing COLDEMAR, ZMT and INCIMAR reaffirm their commitment to advancing transformative sciences for biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and resilient coastal societies.

 Programme for the COLDEMAR kick-off workshop for download.