Haegele Ramona
Faculty of Arts, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Environmental Governance and Transformation to Sustainability, Bonn, Germany.
Marit Stud. 2025;24(3):48. doi: 10.1007/s40152-025-00435-y. Epub 2025 Jul 15.
This article examines the complexities of marine carbon observations by exploring how non-humans and humans, including: scientists, floats, and geopolitics, (de-)stabilize these processes. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Brazil and Germany, the study uses Karen Barad's (2007) concept of agential realism to understand how these diverse actors are mutually co-producing knowledge on marine carbon. Instead of viewing entities as separate, intra-action emphasizes their co-constitution. Through theme-based coding, the analysis identifies both stabilizing and destabilizing forces in marine carbon observations. Stabilizing forces include the dedication of scientists, two-way communication between floats and humans, and the global accessibility of data on marine carbon observations. In contrast, destabilizing forces involve climate change's impact on data collection and quality, funding shortages, and national borders. The research highlights how geopolitical and scientific practices are deeply dynamic and often overlooked in discussions of marine carbon observations. By following non-humans and humans and incorporating diverse perspectives from the sea and land, the study provides new insights into the (un-)becoming of marine carbon observations, emphasizing the importance of the more-than-human in shaping knowledge production practices. This work underscores the value of thinking with Science and Technology Studies and new materialism about marine environments.
本文通过探讨非人类和人类，包括科学家、漂浮器以及地缘政治如何（使）海洋碳观测过程（去）稳定化，来审视海洋碳观测的复杂性。基于在巴西和德国的人种志田野调查，该研究运用凯伦·巴拉德（2007）的能动实在论概念，来理解这些不同的参与者如何共同生成关于海洋碳的知识。能动实在论并非将实体视为相互分离的，而是强调它们的共同构成。通过基于主题的编码分析，确定了海洋碳观测中的稳定力量和不稳定力量。稳定力量包括科学家的奉献精神、漂浮器与人类之间的双向通信以及海洋碳观测数据的全球可获取性。相比之下，不稳定力量涉及气候变化对数据收集和质量的影响、资金短缺以及国界问题。该研究强调了地缘政治和科学实践具有高度动态性，且在海洋碳观测的讨论中常常被忽视。通过追踪非人类和人类，并纳入来自海洋和陆地的不同视角，该研究为海洋碳观测的（非）生成提供了新的见解，强调了超人类在塑造知识生产实践中的重要性。这项工作凸显了运用科学技术研究和新物质主义来思考海洋环境的价值。
