Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Otto Kinne
* Bremerhaven, Germany, in 1923 , † Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany, March 2015. (Announcement)
He was an outstanding marine ecologist. From 1962 to 1984, he was the director of the Helgoland marine research station. During his career, Prof. Kinne was an active board member and Editor-in-Chief of many journals, including Marine Biology (published by Springer), which he founded in 1967.
In 1979, the rapid advancements in the field of marine ecology led Prof. Kinne to launch Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS) and its publisher Inter-Research (IR). Since then, Prof. Kinne (co)founded numerous other successful journals.
Prof. Kinne believed strongly in making scientific research widely accessible, supporting disadvantaged authors and acknowledging scientific achievement. For example, he founded the International Ecology Institute, which honours established as well as up-and-coming ecologists with prestigious awards and publishes the book series Excellence in Ecology at cost price. His Otto Kinne Foundation helps fund young researchers from eastern European countries. Well aware of the challenges faced by some non-native English speakers, Prof. Kinne always encouraged his staff to help these authors.
Prof. Kinne continued to lead IR until his passing at the age of 91. His legacy is being continued by his family and the dedicated staff at IR.
| 1952 | Dr. rer. nat. (Zoology, Botany, Oceanography): University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany |
| 1952 - 1957 | Research Assistant: Department of Zoology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany |
| 1957 - 1958 | Research Zoologist: Department of Zoology; University of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA |
| 1958 | Habilitation (Zoology, esp. marine zoology): University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany |
| 1958 - 1960 | Assistant Professor of Zoology: Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
| 1960 - 1962 | Associate Professor of Zoology: Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
| 1962 - 1984 | Leading Director and Professor Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Hamburg, Germany |
| from 1967 | Professor University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany |
| 1979 - 1981 | President European Marine Biology Symposia (EMBS) |
| from 1984 | Director International Ecology Institute, Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany |
| 1984 - 2004 | Director Inter-Research Science Center, Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany |
| 1992 - 2001 | President Nathanael-Pringsheim-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Biologischen Anstalt Helgoland e.V., Hamburg, Germany |
| from 1998 | President Eco-Ethics International Union, Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany |
| 2003 | The Honorary Professor of the Division of General Biology, The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine |
| 2004 | Honorary Doctor (Dr. h. c.) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia |
| from 2005 | President Inter-Research Science Center, Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany |
| 1959 - 1962 | Instructor: Ecology Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass., USA |
| 1959 - 1962 | Instructor: Marine Biology Course, Hopkins Marine Station, Palo Alto, Calif., USA |
| 1969 - 1970 | Mission Leader of the first two operations of Underwater laboratories in Germany: Baltic Sea: 'BAH I'; North Sea: 'Underwater laboratory Helgoland', Germany |
| 1964 | First International Symposium on 'Quantitative biology of metabolism'. (Co-organizers F. Krüger, A. Locker). Editors: O. Kinne & H. Aurich. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 9, 496 pp |
| 1964 | Fourth Marine Biological Symposium: 'Biology, ecology and physiology of marine organisms'. Editors: O. Kinne & H. Aurich. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 10, 476 pp. |
| 1966 | Second International Symposium: 'Quantitative biology of metabolism'. (Co-organizers: A. Locker, F. Krüger). Editors: O. Kinne & H. Aurich. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 14, 612 pp. |
| 1967 | First European Symposium on Marine Biology (EMBS): 'Experimental ecology — its significance as a marine biological tool; Subtidal ecology — particularly as studied by diving techniques'. Editors: O. Kinne & H. Aurich. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 15, 669 pp. |
| 1968 | International Helgoland Symposium: 'Biological and hydrographical problems of water pollution in the North Sea and adjacent waters.' Editors: O. Kinne & H. Aurich. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 17, 530 pp. |
| 1969 | Marine Biology, International Journal on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters (last volume under the Editor-in-Chief Otto Kinne No. 151) |
| 1970 | Marine Ecology. A Comprehensive, Integrated Treatise on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters. Conceived, organized, edited and contributed to by Otto Kinne and published by Wiley 1970 - 1984 Total printed pages of the Treatise: 7033, of these written by O. Kinne: 1650. This integrated multi-author Treatise is the first comprehensive overview of our knowledge on life in marine environments. Volume I: Environmental Factors Volume II: Physiological Mechanisms Volume III: Cultivation Volume IV: Dynamics Volume V: Ocean Management |
| 1970 | International Helgoland Symposium: 'Cultivation of marine organisms and its importance for marine biology.' Editors: O. Kinne & H.-P. Bulnheim. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 20, 721 pp |
| 1973 | International Helgoland Symposium: 'Man in the sea — in situ studies on life in oceans and coastal waters' Editors: O. Kinne & H.-P. Bulnheim. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 24, 535 pp |
| 1977 | International Helgoland Symposium: 'Ecosystem research' Editors: O. Kinne & H.-P. Bulnheim. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 30, 735 pp. |
| 1979 | Inter-Research (Science Publisher, Science Center) |
| 1979 | Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS) |
| 1980 | 14th European Marine Biology Symposium (EMBS): 'Protection of life in the sea' Editors: O. Kinne & H.-P. Bulnheim. Helgoländer Meeresunters. 33, 772 pp. This symposium was originally planned as International Helgoland Symposium. It was converted into an EMBS because the original sponsor of that symposium withdrew its invitation and because we did not want to skip one year. For details consult end of 'Opening Address' |
| 1980 | Diseases of Marine Animals Conceived, organized, edited and contributed to by Otto Kinne and published by John Wiley & Sons (Vol. I) and Biologische Anstalt Helgoland (Vols II—IV) 1980 - 1990 Total printed pages of the Treatise 2618, of these written by O. Kinne: 127 This integrated multi-author Treatise is the first attempt in history to review all knowledge available on disease phenomena reported from marine animals. Volume I: General Aspects, Protozoa to Gastropoda Volume II: Introduction, Bivalvia to Scaphopoda Volume III: Introduction, Cephalopoda, Annelida,Crustacea, Chaetognatha, Echinodermata, Urochordata Volume IV, Part 1: Introduction, Pisces Volume IV, Part 2: Introduction, Reptilia, Aves, Mammalia |
| 1984 | International Ecology Institute (ECI) |
| 1984 | Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (DAO) |
| 1984 | International Helgoland Symposium: 'Diseases of marine organisms' Editors: O. Kinne & H.-P. Bulnheim. Helgoländer Meeresunters. 37, 664 pp |
| 1987 | Excellence in Ecology (EE) 20 EE Books published up to 2014; 6 books in preparation; 2 cancelled |
| 1990 | Climate Research (CR) |
| 1992 | Otto Kinne Foundation(OKF) |
| 1995 | Aquatic Microbial Ecology(AME) Co-founders: F. Rassoulzadegan, J. Dolan |
| 1996 | Top Books (TB) 2 TBs published up to 2005 |
| 1998 | Eco-Ethics International Union (EEIU - together with Gennady Polikarpov) |
| 2000 | Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics (ESEP) Co-founder: Academician Professor G. Polikarpov |
| 2002 | ESEP Books 2 ESEP books published up to 2005 |
| 2003 | Inter-Research Reports |
| 2004 | Endangered Species Research (ESR) |
| 2006 | MARS - Otto Kinne - Lecture Award for young scientists at the European Marine Biology Symposium (EMBS) The annual award was established by the MARS Network and carries an endowment of 1500 € |
| 2007 | Aquatic Biology (AB) |
| 2009 | Aquaculture Environment Interaction (AEI) Co-founders: M. Holmer, T. Dempster |
| 2012 | Sexuality and Early Development in Aquatic Organisms (SEDAO) Incorporated into AB since 2016 |
| 1960 - 1980 | Crustaceana (Editorial Board Member) |
| 1962 - 1984 | Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen (Senior Editor) |
| 1967 - 1983 | Meteor Forschungsergebnisse Reihe D, Biologie (Co-Editor) |
| 1967 - 2007 | Marine Biology, International journal on life in oceans and coastal waters (Editor-in-Chief ) |
| 1973 - 1987 | Estuarine and Coastal Marine Science (Editorial Board Member) since 1981: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science |
| 1976 - 2006 | Interdisciplinary Science Reviews (Editorial Board Member) |
| from 1979 | Marine Ecology Progress Series (Editor-in-Chief) |
| from 1982 | Allen Hancock Foundation: Monographs, Occasional Papers, Technical Reports (Editorial Board Member) |
| from 1984 | Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (Managing Editor) |
| from 1987 | Excellence in Ecology (Editor) |
| from 2004 | Endangered Species Research (Founding Editor) |
| from 2007 | Aquatic Biology (Editor-in-Chief) |
| 1958 | Guggenheim Fellow, Guggenheim Foundation, USA |
| 1968 | Commandeur d'Honneur, Commanderie de l'Ordre du Bontemps de Médoc et des Graves, France |
| 1970/71 | Senior Foreign Scientist, National Research Council, USA |
| 1974 | Canada Council Grant, Canada |
| 1980 | Senior Queen's Fellow, Australia |
| 1981 | Bundesverdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland |
| 1984 | Karl Ritter von Frisch-Medaille, Wissenschaftspreis der Deutschen Zoologischen Gesellschaft, Germany |
| 1986 | Honorary Member of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth, United Kingdom |
| 1988 | Honorary Member of the All-Union Hydrobiological Society, Moscow, Russia |
| 1992 | Honorary Member of the Institute of Marine Biology, Academy of Sciences of Russia, Vladivostok, Russia |
| 1992 | Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, India |
| 1995 | Foreign Member of the Crimean Academy of Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine |
| 2002 | Honorary Member of the editorial board of the Marine Ecological Journal, Sevastopol, Ukraine |
| 2002 | MARS Medal of Honour |
| 2003 | Honorary Professor of the General Biology Division of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine |
| 2004 | Honorary Doctor (Dr. h. c.) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia |
| 2004 | Honorary Title "Aquatic Ecologist of the Year 2003" of the Conference "Aquatic Ecosystems and Organisms",Moscow, Russia |
| 2005 | Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, San Francisco, CA, USA |
| 2010 | Honorary Member of the German Zoological Society (DZG) |
Prof. Kinne has published a number of scientific papers in a variety of relevant international journals, has contributed to several scientific books, and has also published several on his own, in the years between 1953 and 2010.
A complete list of publications can be found here.
Scientific Fields: Marine ecology, marine biology, zoology, animal physiology, environmenal effects on organismic performance, pollution research, diseases of aquatic organisms, ethics, endangered species research
The founder, owner and president of Inter-Research, Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Otto Kinne, passed away on 3rd March 2015 at the age of 91. He died peacefully at his home in Oldendorf after a protracted illness.
Prof. Kinne had a long and highly successful scientific career and was among the best known and respected of all marine ecologists. In the 1960s and 1970s, he, as Director, built up the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Germany, to one of the leading marine institutes in Europe. In the 1970s, he organised and edited the definitive book series in marine ecology, Marine Ecology. A Comprehensive, Integrated Treatise on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters. He founded and was editor of numerous journals, including Marine Biology (1969), as well as Marine Ecology Progress Series (1979) and the other Inter-Research journals. He established and organized many symposia such as the European Marine Biology Symposium. He founded the publishing company Inter-Research in 1979, as well as the Ecology Institute in 1984. His life’s work was acclaimed through many awards and honorary memberships of distinguished institutions.
Prof. Kinne worked tirelessly and to an advanced age for science, and his wisdom, energy and devotion will be sorely missed. An Obituary authored by Victor Smetacek has been published in MEPS Volume 528:1-6.
We would like to assure our readers, editors and authors that the activities of Inter-Research will be continued in his spirit.
The Inter-Research team