»Obstacles spur me on.«
Corinna Schrum
Prof. Schrum, how did you end up in oceanography?
When I finished high school, I started thinking about what to study. I was very good at math, but math alone sounded pretty dry to me. And I wasn’t confident about doing physics alone, since, due to my teachers being on extended sick leave, I didn’t have a strong enough background in it. So, I wound up in oceanography – back then as one of the few female students interested in studying the ocean from a physics and mathematics standpoint and not a biological one.
There are plenty of other things to study. Why the ocean?
I didn’t know much about the ocean and it seemed to offer more unanswered questions. Of course, I’d been to the ocean several times, but I didn’t have any sentimental connection to it. I enjoy it, but it’s not where I long to be; I’d rather be among people.
You became a mother while still studying. How did you combine that with your research?
Throughout my career, there have been plenty of situations where I had to make sacrifices. My kids got sick or were just starting grade school. That’s when you need support – from your partner, friends and family. I can imagine it’s tough for single parents. Kids won’t raise themselves. When you have a partner to support you, you can do it. Today I have five kids, two of which I had while studying. That wasn’t very common in Germany back then – most of the women I knew became housewives. But I had role models in my family. My mother and grandmother weren’t “just” housewives; they had jobs and had to raise their kids on their own.
Was it hard to make headway in the research community as a woman and mother?
Absolutely, because of the established structures. At first I didn’t really notice them, but the higher I got on the career ladder, the worse the obstacles became. When I applied for an assistantship, some older professors told me to my face: Women can do their Ph.D. here, but you’re not cut out for a professorship, especially since you’re a mother. I was speechless, but I didn’t let it discourage me. I can be stubborn, and obstacles spur me on. When I moved to Norway to take on an appointment in Bergen, I was their first female Professor of Oceanography.
Was there ever a situation where your own work was overlooked?
Yes. I remember a project that a male colleague and I led together. He did virtually nothing; a female Ph.D. student and I did the work, despite my being a mother. When we were finished, he got all the credit for it. That taught me a lesson: to more clearly show my own contributions and to speak up when they’re not given credit. That’s the same advice I give female students and co-workers: Stand up for your performance and don’t put up with being overlooked.
How would you explain your research focus to someone with no scientific background?
My research focuses on the physics of the ocean, or essentially the weather in the ocean – how it moves, and what effects it has on things like biology. This dynamic produces different ecosystems, which in turn shape the life in the ocean.
But “life” is hard to quantify. How do you combine physics and biology?
That’s true. There aren’t any fundamental equations like in physics, but there definitely are principles according to which all life works. It’s more complex in biology; you have to simplify. I try to identify patterns.
For example?
I’ve worked with other researchers to model marine food webs that don’t stop at plankton, but also include fish. There were many skeptics who thought it wasn’t possible – after all, fish swim around, so how are you supposed to quantify them? We defined them as groups with fixed qualities, for instance, or assigned them certain movement patterns. This approach allows us to calculate which stocks grow or decline, and how this changes from year to year, when the physical conditions change. It took quite some time for the approach to be accepted, but today it’s often used in major research projects.
Why is that important?
If you want to understand, say, why fish stocks change, you have to first know how the ecosystem reacts. It’s not just connected to fishing, but also to climatic changes. Ocean currents and water layering can also affect population size. This is relevant for fisheries management, but also for ocean use. For instance, you can calculate the effects of offshore wind parks on ecosystems.
What does your daily work look like, as a director and professor?
My average day is full of responsibilities – plenty of meetings, plenty of admin. For me, the highlight is working with Ph.D. students, seeing and discussing their findings, exploring new ideas and advancing the research.
What do you try to share with young researchers?
I try to encourage them to stand up for themselves and tap into their own creativity. In science, it’s often easier to do what everyone expects you to, instead of coming up with new ideas. I find new ideas much more exciting, even if they have to first gain acceptance.
Do you have any personal working rituals?
To make sure I don’t forget anything, I write myself emails with to-do lists. My calendar is stringently updated. I’m usually an early riser – sometimes I get up at five so that I can take care of a few things before work. New ideas come to me at random – at night, when I’m out for a walk, or in the tram. Not during my eight hours at the office; that’s mostly organizational work.
If you could find the answer to just one research question in your lifetime, what would it be?
I’d like to know how climate change and human activities, especially in the ocean, interact. I’d like to gain a better grasp of how they influence each other and how this affects coastal regions.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned during your career?
Stay open and critical, even with yourself. It’s not easy to get past your own convictions and biases. Science is there to serve the community, and we have a responsibility to do our work to the best of our ability and as honestly as possible – not on the basis of our beliefs or hopes.
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Prof. Corinna Schrum is Director of the Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Geesthacht and a Professor at the University of Hamburg.
