8 0 0 ▁al umn i . ▁The ▁inst itute ▁offers ▁a ▁broad ▁range ▁of ▁research ▁infrastr ucture , ▁including ▁its ▁own ▁scientific ▁div ing ▁centre ▁and ▁labor ator ies ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Marine ▁Ex perimental ▁E col ogy ▁Fac ility ▁( MA REE ). ▁Z MT ▁also ▁hosts ▁the ▁Future ▁Earth ▁Coast s ▁( F EC ) ▁office , ▁a ▁global ▁network ▁of ▁exper ts ▁investig ating ▁the ▁drivers ▁of ▁global ▁change ▁in ▁coast al ▁zones . ▁ ▁The ▁centre ▁ ▁was ▁founded ▁as ▁research ▁inst itute ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Bre men ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Z MT ▁is ▁an ▁independent ▁research ▁inst itute ▁and ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Gott fried ▁Wilhelm ▁Le ib n iz ▁Scient ific ▁Community . ▁Z MT ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Deutsche ▁Al li anz ▁für ▁Me eres forsch ung ▁( G erman ▁Alliance ▁for ▁Marine ▁Research ). ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Cor al ▁re ef s , ▁mang ro ve ▁for ests ▁and ▁se agr ass ▁me adows ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁rivers , ▁est u aries , ▁coast al ▁waters ▁and ▁up well ing ▁areas ▁compr ise ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁tropical ▁coast al ▁e cos ystem s . ▁They ▁are ▁in ▁close ▁physical , ▁bi ological ▁and ▁ge och em ical ▁interaction ▁as ▁trans itional ▁areas ▁between ▁land ▁and ▁water ▁and ▁host ▁high ▁b iod iversity . ▁However , ▁climate ▁change , ▁over exp lo itation ▁of ▁resources , ▁population ▁increase ,