The Topic Workshop takes place once a year and is intended to coordinate multidisciplinary research, achieve cross-project scientific results and better present research results externally.

In this year's SPP 1158 Topic Workshop, we aim to identify research topics and plan the first SPP-guided Antarctic Polarstern expedition, which is envisaged for early 2028. The SPP Topic Workshop is planned for May 24^th, 2024, following the SCAR IASC meeting (May 23^rd-24^th, 2024) at MARUM in Bremen, Germany. We kindly ask all those interested in an SPP-led research cruise to participate in the SPP Topic Workshop.

Registrations will be accepted until March 4^th, 2024 (please use the registration form). Since the scientific topic of the expedition has yet to be determined, we also ask you to send possible overarching research ideas/questions to the SPP office by April 7^th, 2024, by filling out the questionnaire. Questionnaire and registration to: spp-antarktisforschung(at)uni-rostock.de.

After a hiatus of two years, due to the pandemic, this year saw the return of in-persona meetings. This included the SPP 1158 topic workshop on "Polar Genomics", which was held in Bielefeld from 16^th till 18^th of May 2022. Organized by Joe Hoffman and his team from the University of Bielefeld, the aim of the workshop was to bring together international researchers working on the genomics of polar organisms. Over the course of two and half days, 37 participants from six countries presented and discussed objectives, approaches and recent progress using genomic methods to study patterns of biodiversity, adaptations to the polar environment and responses to environmental changes in polar organisms. Presentations covered all organismal levels, from bacteria, algae, lichens, invertebrates, fish and birds to mammals, from terrestrial to marine habitats. Plenary lectures were delivered by Melody Clark (British Antarctic Survey/UK), Charlotte Havermans (AWI/Germany), and Kenneth M. Halanych (University of North Carolina Wilmington/USA).

The workshop presentations and lively discussions were complemented by a field trip to the Naturschutzgroßproject Senne near Bielefeld and an evening lecture on Ernest Shackletons polar adventures by Oliver Krüger, Bielefeld University.

Here you find the agenda of the Topic Workshop 2022.

This years' SPP Topic Workshop on "Polar Coasts and Processes" took place on June 3^rd and 4^th, 2019, at the University of Rostock, International Guest House. Responsible for the planning and organisation of the workshop was the coordination team at Rostock University, Ulf Karsten, Angelika Graiff and Svenja Heesch. The focus was on geomorphology, environmental change, local consequences and coastal observation networks. For this purpose, speakers from various disciplines were invited and experiences exchanged. Afterwards breakout groups worked on and discussed four important topics, such as polar coastal biodiversity, terrestrial-marine exchange processes and biogeochemical cycling in polar coastal regions under global change scenarios. The identified deficits as well as assessments and future developments concerning polar coasts will be presented in a position paper.

Here you find the agenda of the Topic Workshop 2019.

This year's topic workshop on "Big Data & Polar Research" took place on 7-8 May 2018 at the Microwaves and Radar Institute at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR )in Oberpfaffenhofen. Matthias Braun and Boris Koch, the two sub-area coordinators, were  responsible for the planning and design of the workshop.

The focus was on remote sensing, data integration and modelling. For this purpose, speakers from various disciplines were invited and experiences exchanged. Afterwards breakout groups worked on and discussed four important topics: "(raw) data management", "process efficiency", "data evaluation / data services" and "improvement of expertise". The deficits identified in the breakout groups, as well as assessments and future developments, will be presented and discussed in a white paper.

Here you will find the agenda of the topic workshop.

At this year's topic workshop near Göttingen there were three overarching topics: "Molecular Methods in Polar Research", "Habitat Modelling" and "Carbon Cycle in the Southern Ocean". These topics were discussed in depth in small groups and the results were summarised for the entire group. The discussion dealt with ideas for important future scientific questions in Antarctica and how a better cooperation of the different disciplines can be implemented.

Here are the summaries of the three topics.