▁advis es ▁policy - ▁and ▁decision - m akers ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁mit ig ation ▁and ▁adaptation ▁strateg ies . ▁In ▁accord ance ▁with ▁the ▁cre do ▁of ▁the ▁Le ib n iz ▁Association ▁the oria ▁cum ▁pra xi , ▁Z MT ' s ▁emphas is ▁ranges ▁from ▁fundamental ▁research ▁to ▁problem - orient ed ▁applied ▁research . ▁Com bin ing ▁research ▁with ▁capacity ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁scientific ▁expert ise ▁and ▁e cos ystem ▁management , ▁Z MT ▁conduct s ▁research ▁projects ▁with ▁partners ▁in ▁tropical ▁countries ▁that ▁contribute ▁to ▁a ▁sound ▁scientific ▁basis ▁for ▁implementing ▁coast al ▁zone ▁management ▁strateg ies . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁Free ▁Han se atic ▁City ▁of ▁Bre men ▁founded ▁the ▁Center ▁for ▁Trop ical ▁Marine ▁E col ogy ▁( Z MT ). ▁The ▁initi ator ▁and ▁found ing ▁director ▁was ▁Got th il f ▁H emp el , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁already ▁successfully ▁founded ▁the ▁Alfred ▁Weg ener ▁Institute ▁for ▁Pol ar ▁and ▁Marine ▁Research ▁( A WI ) ▁in ▁Bre mer h aven . ▁Ven ug op al an ▁It te kk ot ▁succeeded ▁Got th il f ▁H emp el ▁and ▁gu ided ▁Z MT ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 ▁years . ▁Z MT ▁expanded ▁stead ily , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Le ib n iz ▁Association ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁H ilde g ard ▁West phal ▁was