Marlon Giesen does not yet fully understand aquaculture. The 15-year-old faces a cycle that leaves him at a loss: there are fish, there are mussels, algae and there are biofilters. But how exactly should it work? Here, on the ship “MS Wiesenshaft”, a secondary school student should learn. Her teacher, Marion Zener, traveled with her biology class from Kerpen to Monheim because she wanted to teach students what sustainability meant.
But he too is now a little surprised in front of the exhibition. So chief scientist Ernesto Lunar-Koch explains it again: “So that there will still be fish and marine animals for future consumption, permanent breeding facilities are a good idea,” he says. “In this case, sustainable means that everything in the system can be recycled.” The mussels filter and use the fish excrement, in turn the dissolved nutrients help the algae grow – this produces even more biomass and clears the water. The fish can later be used to make leather, oil, food or medicine, and the mussels can be used to make lime, food supplements, and mother-of-pearl. And algae are also suitable for medicine or food. “We have some Muslim students, who we have to be careful with when making the cake,” says Marion Zenner. “Pork gelatin can be incorporated into cake toppings. Algae are a good choice.” Marlon nodded: “I see.” He’s the only one in his class still walking around the demonstrations.
Others have to process multiple impressions first. Selma (16) thinks it is “fantastic” that she can see the exhibition on a ship. “But there is also a lot of information at once,” says the student. And her friend Almedina admits: “Biology isn’t really my subject.” Still, they are happy with the change. Many things surprised him. “You all like to eat salmon too, don’t you?” Marion Zenner asks. The students turned their backs. But her teacher continues: “But the seas are full of them, that’s not great.” This is also important when talking about sustainability. The girls shake their heads.
Marlon doesn’t let his classmates bother him. He takes another tour of the exhibit, marveling at a dark green T-shirt made from tree bark and a turquoise top made from 30 percent coffee grounds. They both feel like normal sports T-shirts. Even the little stool doesn’t look like someone made it out of popcorn. “Popcorn is an excellent material for insulating,” Luner-Koch says. “And best of all: it dampens sound and is difficult to catch fire. It conforms to fire safety requirements in Germany.” It is conceivable that granulated popcorn would replace Styrofoam at some point; this would allow insulation panels and Packaging can be made.
There are also more durable materials for bicycle helmets or leather bags: mushrooms. “Unfortunately, the problem with durable bicycle helmets is that they swell when it rains,” Koch-Lunar says. Scientists still have to find a solution to this. And because the demand for sustainable products is not high, they are expensive. For example, a bag made of mushroom leather costs 80 euros. It’s no bigger than a school kid’s wallet that you carry around your neck.
Marlon is thrilled with the exhibition on MS Wissenschaft. “I like to learn new things,” he says. Selma would prefer to set sail on a ship rather than read more information boards. “There was just too much text,” she says. Still, both leave with more knowledge.
