EMBL environmental research supported by ZEISS

For a better understanding of the impact of human activity on Europe’s seas and coasts. 

A habitat rich in biodiversity – Europe’s coasts and oceans are home to a wide variety of plants and animals and are essential for the stability and sustainability of larger ecosystems.

There is a growing awareness of the effects of human activities on natural habitats, pollution, the decline in biodiversity and climate change. To gain a better understanding of humans’ impact on European coasts and oceans, ZEISS accompanied EMBL¹ on the unique research expedition TREC (Traversing European Coastlines) across Europe.

Mobile truck laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art technologies (including ZEISS microscopes) visited over 100 sites in 24 European countries between April 2023 and July 2024. Within this period, researchers collected biological samples and environmental data on 115 land-sea transects. The expedition thus combined ocean research with parallel sampling of soil, sediment, shallow water and selected model organisms in different habitats.

The primary objective of TREC is the systematic and standardized sampling and multimodal acquisition of environmental metadata. The aim of gathering this data was to conduct the first Europe-wide consensus of European coastal ecosystems and to record the impact of humans on the environment and on microscopic and macroscopic organisms.

More information about the TREC expedition

Along the TREC route, in cooperation with schools, young people had the opportunity to delve into this topic.

Bringing together people from different countries with expertise in different disciplines facilitated discussions about the challenges of the present and the future. Knowledge and progress were shared with the public through a variety of scientific workshops on a wide range of topics from demonstrating the power of molecular biology in addressing societal challenges through to highlighting the connection and interaction between humans and their planet.²

Inspiring the explorers of tomorrow and generating enthusiasm for science is also the goal of “A Heart for Science”, an international ZEISS initiative that aims to get young people aged 12 to 18 interested in STEM. ZEISS employees have been participating along the route as part of this cooperation to raise awareness of the importance of science for sustainability among the younger generation.

More information on “A Heart for Science”