Having been trained in biology at Cologne University, Prof. Dr. Martin Zimmer specialized in terrestrial ecology, focusing on the soil macrofauna and their contribution to decomposition processes, and gained his Dr. rer. nat. in 1998. After a short postdoc at Düsseldorf University about evolutionary and sensory ecology, he turned his attention towards the ecology of coastal and intertidal ecosystems, when he moved to Kiel University in 2000. For ten years, he worked on fauna-microbe interactions, decomposition and organic matter-turnover on sandy beaches and saltmarshes in Europe and the United States. After another short interval (2010-2014) at Salzburg University, where he led the group of Terrestrial Animal Ecology, he joined Bremen University as a Professor of Mangrove Ecology, as well as the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), where he leads the working group of Mangrove Ecology and the Ecology Department. His research focus lies on how the species composition and biotic interactions in mangrove forests and other vegetated coastal ecosystems drive ecosystem processes under different and changing environmental conditions, and how these translate into ecosystem services. With strong interests in organic matter-turnover, decomposition and blue carbon, he aims at providing scientific knowledge as background for sustainable management and decision-making. He is a member of the IUCN SSC Mangrove Specialist Group and represents ZMT within the Global Mangrove Alliance.