Carl Zeiss Supports Marine Expedition

Carl Zeiss is providing high quality microscope systems as an official supplier of the Tara Oceans expedition. The research ship, which is currently en route in the Mediterranean, will spend three years traveling a distance of around 150,000 kilometers on all oceans of the world. The goal of the oceanographic expedition is to provide the foundation for an extensive analysis of marine ecosystems. A further objective is to document the impact of climate change on the creatures living in the world's oceans.

Carl Zeiss equipped the expedition with two Stemi DV 4 and one SteREO Discovery.V20 stereomicroscope for fluorescence microscopy. The equipment includes hardware and software for microscopic research, including objective lenses, cameras and the AxioVision image analysis software.

One of the applications for which the systems will be used is to examine microorganisms which produce half of the earth's oxygen. To determine exactly where these vital processes occur, the scientists take systematic samples of sea water at various depths.

"Understanding the impact of climate change on our oceans is an urgent challenge. As suppliers of oxygen, marine microorganisms are essential for human life. We are proud to support this important expedition with our instruments," says Dr. Ulrich Simon, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH.

Starting in the port of Lorient in the north of France, the scientists will cover a distance of 150,000 kilometers in their "Tara" schooner. They will sail across the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Artic Ocean and make calls in 50 countries around the world. Over one hundred researchers from around fifty scientific institutions worldwide are taking part in the expedition.

Carl Zeiss AG

Carl Zeiss AG is a leading group of companies operating worldwide in the optical and opto-electronic industries. The five independently operating business groups are active in the future-oriented markets of Medical and Research Solutions, Industrial Solutions and Lifestyle Products. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Carl Zeiss AG is fully owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation). During fiscal year 2007/08 (ended Sept. 30), the company generated revenues of EUR 2,731 million. Carl Zeiss has around 13,000 employees in more than 30 countries, including over 8,000 in Germany.