132 
44. Jahresbericht Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut 1989 
Following the commissioning of a further two unattended light-ships, the North 
Sea and Baltic network now consists of four automatic measurement stations in 
the German Bight and two in the western Baltic. At present, temperature, salinity, 
oxygen, radioactivity, current and water level data are sent by satellite im 
mediately on being taken and are used in the long-term monitoring of the marine 
environment and by the nautical-hydrographic services, notably the storm surge 
and ice warning ones. To make better use of long-range satellite reconnaissance 
for the purposes of navigation, protection of the marine environment and marine 
research, a receiving and processing station for oceanographic satellite data was 
put into service. 
A working group of the Maritime Committee of the Helsinki Commission convened 
at the DHI in May. It compiled a list of binding measures for ships’ collecting tanks 
to be adopted by the Commission’s Maritime Committee with the aim of preventing 
the illegal discharge of ships’ wastes into the Baltic Sea. 
The DHI was involved in the scientific preparations for the Third International 
Conference on the Protection of the North Sea which took place in March 1990 in 
The Hague. A report on the current state of the North Sea and the main emphasis 
of future research projects was compiled for conference by an international work 
ing group. The “Meeresumweltdatenbank”, the Marine Environment Data Bank, 
run jointly with the Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environmental Protection Agency) 
in Berlin, was the source of much information for national and international use. 
Besides its diverse national research activities, the DHI increased its involvement 
in European research programmes designed to gain a better understanding of the 
physical and chemical processes in Europe’s seas. 
125 investigations were conducted into infringements by shipping for not keeping 
Oil Record Books. In most cases fines were imposed. 
It had long been the DHI’s aim to phase out the dumping of diluted acid into the 
North Sea by the end of 1989 and this was finally achieved. No new permits for the 
incineration of waste at sea were issued either. This means that by the end of the 
year, all waste disposal at sea by the Federal Republic of Germany was terminated 
following a reduction in the volume of waste dumped or incinerated compared 
with previous years. 
International cooperation was further intensified. DHI members were involved in 
more than 20 international organizations. A visit by the Deputy Chairman of the 
Soviet Academy of Sciences, Prof. Dr. Ilyichev, served to strengthen cooperation 
with the USSR in the field of marine research. The Deputy General Secretary of the 
International Maritime Organization, Dr. Mensah, informed himself of the DHI’s 
work during a visit. 
More P. R. activities took place and included several press conferences, publica 
tions and participation in boat shows. “Operation Sail 89” in July was the visual 
highlight of the year and formed part of the celebrations for the Port of Hamburg’s 
800th anniversary. Aboard the DHI’s research vessel “Atair”, Hamburg’s Principal 
Mayor held the review of four-masted vessels in the company of important guests 
from home and abroad. 
1989 also saw changes in the top positions of the DHI. After more than 14 years in 
office, President Prof. Dr. Gerhard Zickwolff was discharged on 28 February at a 
ceremony presided over by Dr. Wilhelm Knittel, Permanent Undersecretary in the 
Federal Ministry of Transport. Dr. Zickwolffs successor, Dr. Peter Ehlers, assistant 
ministerial director and deputy head of the Department of Maritime Affairs in the 
Federal Ministry of Transport, was inaugurated. 
After graduating, Dr. Zickwolff began lecturing in physics in 1953 at Bremen 
Nautical College where he spent 16 years. While on study trips as an officer, he 
gained wide experience of the sea, something which was later to stand him in good