As part of the Biodiversity of the Blue Ocean (BBO) Cluster, the IMAPP project researches marine protected areas and develops guidelines for balancing conservation priorities with economic and legal interests in the high seas.  

The IMAPP project is a joint initiative the following universities and institutions: Universität Hamburg, Universität Bremen, the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Universität Leipzig, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU), and Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. 

The overall objectives of the IMAPP project include:  

1. Compiling data on the biogeography and ecological functions of marine species and communities (from planktonic organisms to marine mammals), alongside information on fisheries and shipping as potential anthropogenic stressors, subject to legal and policy negotiations.

2. Combining niche modeling, food web analysis, and bioeconomic modeling to assess the impact of climate change on biological diversity. 

3. Developing a risk assessment that considers climatic changes, fisheries, and shipping as potential stressors.

4. Conducting a spatial prioritization analysis based on ecological, economic, and legal criteria to identify suitable protection areas, actors, and stakeholders. 

5. Integrating the results to formulate recommendations for marine protected areas.

At Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, our research focuses on analyzing the law and governance frameworks relevant to the prioritization and designation of marine protected areas. We specifically examine the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which will be the central mechanism for establishing marine protected areas.  

After a decade of international negotiations, the BBNJ Agreement was adopted on 19 June 2023 and is considered a milestone in the protection of biological diversity in the high seas—an area covering 64% of the Earth's surface. The Agreement includes a mechanism for designating marine protected areas in the high seas.  

As of 15 February 2025, 108 states have signed the BBNJ Agreement, and 17 states have ratified it within their domestic jurisdictions. The Agreement will enter into force once 60 ratifications have been reached.  

The BBO Cluster, including the IMAPP project, is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF).