News

On May 14, the new book WIR WALE (“WE WHALES”) by our vice chairman Fabian Ritter will be released. The book tells the story of the world of whales — from their perspective. As mammals who spend their entire lives in the ocean, whales and dolphins are more similar to us than many realize. With this book, Ritter dares to take a perspective shift that brings us closer to these fascinating marine mammals than ever before — supported by the latest scientific findings. Told from the whales’ own point of view, we discover how whales and dolphins perceive their environment,... Continue Reading

On May 6 and 7, the first National Ocean Conference of Germany took place in Berlin under the theme “Living Oceans.” The conference had been planned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment under the previous government. Several hundred representatives from politics, science, marine conservation, and the “blue economy” gathered to discuss current issues and developments.M.E.E.R. was among the NGOs accredited for the conference. We were able to contribute two key impulses on the topic of shifting awareness in marine conservation: one in the form of a poster in the conference exhibition area, and the other as a presentation during... Continue Reading

Like every year, we are supporting our long-standing partner, the GRD (Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delfine), at their information booth at the Boot. This is a place for extensive networking in marine conservation and for maintaining friendships. This year, particular focus is being placed on the extraction of raw materials such as manganese nodules from the ocean floor and the many direct and indirect — and often unfortunately catastrophic — consequences this has for the entire ocean ecosystem.

During the annual general meeting at the end of October, several positions were newly elected, including the board. The membership confirmed the board’s proposal to swap the positions of the 1st and 2nd Chairperson. Former 1st Chairperson Fabian Ritter (left) is now the 2nd Chairman, and Volker Smit (right) has taken over as the 1st Chairman. This change is intended to bring fresh momentum to the organization’s working methods and thematic direction — especially in relation to topics such as “transformative change” and our educational work.

The world is currently changing at a breathtaking pace, and Germany must make crucial decisions for a livable future. In this context, marine conservation is a key element in addressing current crises and plays a vital role in a profound socio-ecological transformation. Healthy oceans are indispensable. Representing millions of people in Germany, a coalition of German organizations — including M.E.E.R. e.V. — has developed the paper MEERESPOLITIK 2025 – Eine Zukunft für Mensch und Meer. In these times of upheaval, it outlines the core elements of a sustainable ocean policy and clearly defines Germany’s national and international responsibilities for marine... Continue Reading

In early November, our partners at OCEANO Whale Watching repeatedly observed a family of pilot whales, among which a calf had become entangled in a line, presumably from fishing gear. The line had already tightly constricted the dorsal fin, causing significant deformation. Despite several attempts, it was not possible to approach the calf, as the evidently distressed young whale avoided all interaction. As a result, a search and rescue team from the neighboring island of Tenerife was contacted. It turned out that the animal had already been sighted there several weeks earlier. After several more reports of sightings off the... Continue Reading

About two years ago, in collaboration with the company Pegenau, we launched our digital sighting data app. Since then, it has been continuously developed by our software developer Stefan Werfling and our biologist Tina Sommer. We can now display multiple map layers simultaneously, such as a frequency map of marine mammals and the outlines of official marine protected areas. The next step will be to automate the start and end of sighting recordings using GPS data. Information about the structure, development, and collaboration opportunities for the project can be found here: https://m-e-e-r-e-v.gitbook.io/mwpa