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The latest news and articles from marine research on the largest habitat on earth and its far-reaching significance for humanity.

Focus

Mussels and green algae lie on a sandy seabed. — Picture: Dirk Schories

> North Sea and Baltic Sea

Environmental status North Sea and Baltic Sea

Every six years, experts assess the environmental state of Germany’s marine areas. The comprehensive 2024 report reveals that the German North Sea and Baltic Sea are in poor condition.

Meere Online

Focus

Several wind turbines at the ocean, the wind farm Rampion — Picture: Nicholas Doherty, Unsplash

> Marine Energy

Offshore Windfarms

The expansion of offshore wind turbines is being driven forward in many countries. What impact does the large-scale expansion of wind power in the North Sea and Baltic Sea have on the marine environment?

Meere Online

Focus

> Ammunition

Munition in the Seas – Current Knowledge and Perspectives

Munitions in the seas and oceans threaten the marine environment and risk their sustainable use and management. For several years, research has been conducted to evaluate the scale of the impacts and to develop solutions for their future remediation.

DAM

Insight

Starfish lying on the seabed — Picture: Dirk Schories

> Ocean Conservation

Marine Protection

The health of the seas and oceans is deteriorating. The trend can only be reversed if marine protection and sustainable use are pushed forward consistently.

Meere Online

Insight

[Translate to English:] Cumulonimbus Wolke über Meereshorizont vom Forschungsschiff Sonne aus fotografiert. — Picture: Ralf Prien, IOW

> The Ocean as a Climate Buffer

The Ocean as a Climate Buffer

The ocean stores large quantities of carbon dioxide and heat and thus, slowing down man-made climate change.

Meere Online

Multimedia

> Restoration

The restoration of the European oyster

The European oyster plays a vital role in maintaining ecosystem functions in its habitat. Currently considered extinct in the German North Sea, it is being reintroduced through a project at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI).

AWI

Website

> Fisheries and Aquaculture

Fish, seafood and algae in a changing climate

How food from the sea can contribute to sustainable development in a changing climate is described in the ‘Blue Food’ handbook published by ‘Küstenmeerforschung Nordsee-Ostsee’ (KüNO).

Hereon

Website

> Plastic Litter

Round table marine litter

An information platform for all relevant stakeholders on the coordination and implementation of national measures against marine litter. Around 130 experts support the work of the round table, established in 2016.

UBA

Multimedia

Zwei Hände berühren einen Touchdisplay und interagieren mit dem Interaktiven Weltozean. — Foto: DAM Sinje Hasheider

> Educational Materials

Interactive world ocean

Touchscreen-based ocean map for schools, educational institutions and exhibitions - navigate simply and intuitively by touch and immerse yourself in the underwater world.

DAM

PDF

> Educational Materials

Teacher training course on the changing world ocean

From overfishing to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – this volume of the Hamburg Geography Symposium includes four lectures as part of a teacher training course on the changing world ocean and a didactic contribution on teaching methods.

Universität Hamburg

Multimedia

Foto der DAM Zukunftsbox, ein Spiel zum Nachhaltigen Umgang mit den Meeren. — Bild: DAM

> Educational Materials

Future box oceans

In a workshop format, various future scenarios are developed in a playful way to answer the question: What will our oceans look like in the future?

DAM | Futurium

Press Releases from Marine Research by Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (idw)

idw (Informationsdienst Wissenschaft)

2025-04-16 11:53 AM — idw

Microorganisms employ a secret weapon during metabolism

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

In the global carbon cycle microorganisms have evolved a variety of methods for fixing carbon. Researchers from Bremen and Taiwan have investigated the methods that are utilized at extremely hot, acidic and sulfur-rich hydrothermal vents in shallow waters off the island of Kueishantao, Taiwan. A team working with first author Joely Maak of MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen has now published their study in the professional journal Biogeosciences.

2025-04-15 12:17 PM — idw

Silent giants on their last voyage

Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum - Leibniz-Institut für Maritime Geschichte

How and where does the life of a giant steel vessel end? So far, quietly on the beaches of Southeast Asia. DSM scientist Anja Binkofski is researching the opportunities that modern and sustainable ship recycling could offer in northern Germany. The Hong Kong Convention, whose entry into force will be celebrated on 26 June 2025 at the German Maritime Museum (DSM) / Leibniz Institute for Maritime History in Bremerhaven, promises more sustainable conditions for ship recycling worldwide.

2025-04-11 02:00 PM — idw

Scientific Report on Deep-Sea Research: Scientists Call for More Knowledge to Enable Sustainable Management

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

11 April 2025/Brussels/Kiel. A group of leading marine scientists, led by Professor Dr Sylvia Sander (GEOMAR), has published a Future Science Brief on deep-sea research. The report provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge and recommendations on how to make deep-sea exploration and management more sustainable. The authors warn: without a solid understanding of ecosystem processes and biodiversity, informed decisions on deep-sea use and protection are impossible. They call for targeted research to fill knowledge gaps and support long-term conservation. The report will be launched today in a public webinar and is aimed at policy makers, scientists and international organisations.

2025-04-11 11:22 AM — idw

CO₂ removal and storage: Which options are feasible and desirable?

Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

A new framework helps to evaluate the feasibility of ocean-based CO2 removal processes and assesses their impact on humans and nature.
As climate change increases, so does the pressure on humanity to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere - possibly with the help of the oceans. But which of the proposed marine CO2 removal and storage options should be used? Scientists from the CDRmare research mission have developed a new assessment framework to help decision-makers make evidence-based decisions about whether marine CO2 removal methods or projects are feasible and whether their consequences for humans and nature are desirable.

2025-04-10 01:18 PM — idw

Who eats whom? New model for marine food webs

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Hereon researchers develop innovative method to calculate predator-prey relationships more precisely

Marine food webs are highly complex. Until now, researchers have been unable to understand exactly how they are affected by climate change, overfishing and other threats. Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Geesthacht have now achieved a breakthrough. They have developed a new computer model that can be used to simulate food webs more accurately than ever before. The work, which has been published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, opens up new perspectives in the field of marine conservation.

2025-04-10 11:55 AM — idw

New study on natural oil seeps in the deep sea

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

What is the role of dissolved organic matter in the deep sea? In a study relating to this question, researchers from the Universities of Bremen and Oldenburg have investigated the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in detail. Their samples were obtained during an expedition to the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California.

2025-04-09 01:26 PM — idw

New fish species discovered in the Gulf of Mexico

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

Scientists from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, together with colleagues from Central America, have described a new fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. Hypoplectrus espinosai belongs to the hamlet group and was discovered in the Alacranes Reef, a reef complex in the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The researchers from Germany, Mexico and Panama were able to describe the new species using genetic data, geographical records and photographs. Their study has now been published in the scientific journal Zootaxa.

2025-04-07 02:35 PM — idw

Marine litter: what biodegradable plastics can do to solve the problem

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

For more than two years, the UN member states have been trying to agree on a plastics treaty that includes globally binding measures against plastic pollution. In August, negotiations to reach an agreement will continue in Geneva. Scientists at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) have studied existing strategies and are proposing additional measures to tackle the marine litter problem. They are focussing on innovative, “third-generation” biodegradable plastics to be developed on the basis of the EU concept ‘Safe and Sustainable by Design’ (SSbD). The researchers’ comprehensive analysis is published in the journal Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy.

2025-04-04 03:16 PM — idw

Lowest levels on record for Arctic winter sea ice

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

The winter growth period for sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is now over, with levels at a record low. The winter ice extent on 21 March 2025 was lower than at any time since continuous satellite recording began in 1979. At 14.45 million square kilometres, winter sea ice cover is over a million square kilometres below the long-term average. As in February 2025, average Arctic sea ice cover remained at an all-time low for the entire month of March, equalling the previous low set in 2017.

2025-04-03 11:28 AM — idw

Storing CO₂ Beneath the German North Sea? GEOSTOR Research Consortium Publishes Interim Report

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

3 April 2025/Kiel. Captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) could be stored deep beneath the German North Sea. However, due to limited storage capacity and potential environmental risks, this option should only be used for residual emissions that remain unavoidable – even under ambitious climate policies. That is the key message of a new interim report published today by researchers from the GEOSTOR consortium. The report presents findings from the first three years of the research project and outlines the challenges and uncertainties that still need to be addressed before any CO₂ can be injected into the seabed.

2025-04-02 01:15 PM — idw

Southern Ocean warming leads to wetter Pacific coasts for centuries to come

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

An astonishing teleconnection originating in the Southern Ocean is causing East Asia to face wetter summers and the western USA wetter winters in the future. A new study breaks down the process chain for the first time and provides an explanation for the uncertainty of previous model projections.

2025-04-01 01:51 PM — idw

All Aboard for the Third “Floating University”

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

1 April 2025/Mindelo/Kiel. Today, the German research vessel POLARSTERN sets sail from the subtropical Mindelo, Cabo Verde, on a special expedition. On board are 13 Master’s students from West Africa, who will experience marine research at first hand during the two-week voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany. The “Floating University” is taking place for the third time under the leadership of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and contributes to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the WASCAL programme.

2025-03-28 09:49 AM — idw

New boost for ecosystem-based fisheries management

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

28.03.2025/Kiel. GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz, BfN) have signed a cooperation agreement “AWZFISCH”. This expands the 15-year collaboration between the two institutions into a long-term strategic partnership. Over the next five years, the two institutions will join forces to work together on the future of fish stocks in the face of climate change, the sustainable implementation of fishing quotas and the regulation of fishing activities within marine protected areas.

2025-03-28 09:38 AM — idw

After 7000 years without light and oxygen in Baltic Sea mud: Researchers bring prehistoric algae back to life

Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde

A research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) was able to revive dormant stages of algae that sank to the bottom of the Baltic Sea almost 7,000 years ago. Despite thousands of years of inactivity in the sediment without light and oxygen, the investigated diatom species regained full viability. The study, recently published in The ISME Journal, was carried out as part of the Leibniz Association-funded collaborative research project PHYTOARK, which aims at a better understanding of the Baltic Sea's future by means of palaeoecological investigations of the Baltic Sea's past.

2025-03-28 09:08 AM — idw

Regional climate signals pose new challenges for climate science

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

Climate science has correctly predicted many aspects of the climate system and its response to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Recently discrepancies between the real world and our expectations of regional climate changes have emerged, as have disruptive new computational approaches. Researchers provide an interpretation for the situation suggesting the field is evolving and that embracing discrepancies is a key path forward.

2025-03-25 01:43 PM — idw

Ocean Eddies – the Food Trucks of the Sea: Study reveals Lipidome Composition of Mesoscale Eddies

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

25 March 2025/Kiel. How is organic matter transported from productive coastal areas to the open ocean? Researchers from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and MARUM - Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen have now shown that eddies play a crucial role in this process. The swirling currents contain large amounts of energy-rich and essential fat molecules (essential lipids), which play a key role in marine food webs and the carbon cycle. The study has now been published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.

2025-03-24 11:02 AM — idw

Deep-Sea Biology of the Cape Verde Islands: Expedition M209 investigates biodiversity and foodwebs

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

24 March.2025/Mindelo/Kiel. This weekend the M209 expedition ‘BASIS’ led by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has started. An international team is investigating the largely unexplored deep seas off the Cape Verde islands with the research vessel METEOR. To this end, the sea floor at islands and underwater mountains, so-called seamounts, will be mapped and the biotic communities and food webs observed, documented and sampled - from the water column to the sea floor. The GEOMAR underwater robot ROV KIEL 6000, which can dive to depths of up to 6,000 metres, will also be used.

2025-03-21 03:29 PM — idw

Managing Legacy Munitions in the Baltic Sea: Expedition AL628 investigates suspected sites in German and Danish waters

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

21 March 2025/Kiel/Rønne. It is well known that the Baltic Sea is contaminated with remnants of munitions from past wars. However, many questions remain about the exact locations of these munitions and their condition after decades under water. Three major projects at national, Baltic Sea and European level are currently working to consolidate existing knowledge and develop technologies to safely identify submerged munitions. GEOMAR is contributing to these efforts with three Baltic Sea expeditions. The first mission has now begun: the research vessel ALKOR is testing and further developing state-of-the-art mapping and analysis techniques in German and Danish waters.

2025-03-13 11:48 AM — idw

Global Comparative Study on Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Begins in Kiel

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

13.03.2025/Kiel. How do plankton communities respond to increased alkalinity in different oceanic regions? This question is at the heart of the international research project "Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Pelagic Impact Intercomparison Project" (OAEPIIP). As part of this globally coordinated comparative study, standardized experiments are being conducted at 19 locations worldwide – including at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. In Germany, researchers are using water from the Boknis Eck time-series station (Eckernförde Bay, south-western Baltic Sea), which was collected on Friday.

2025-03-13 11:23 AM — idw

Taking the seagrass taxi: How foraminifera move from the coast to the depths of the Red Sea

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

Foraminifera are single-celled marine organisms with a calcareous shell. They not only provide evidence of past habitats, but also play an important role in sediment formation. Along tropical and subtropical coasts, large benthic foraminifera live on the seabed of light-flooded shallow water habitats, in many cases attached to coral rubble or plant substrates. In the ocean, they can travel long distances by attaching to seagrass or algae and drifting across the sea surface. This journey by hitchhiking – technically known as ‘rafting’ – has rarely been scientifically documented.

2025-03-12 04:23 PM — idw

Embracing diversity for the future of climate modeling

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

What's next for climate modeling? Five internationally recognized female scientists have joined forces to come up with an answer. They argue: Instead of picking just one path, climate research should integrate multiple approaches.

2025-03-10 12:55 PM — idw

A “Precautionary Pause” Is the Logical Way Forward for Deep-Sea Mining

Forschungsinstitut für Nachhaltigkeit Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam

Pressure on the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to finalise and adopt regulations for deep-sea mining is increasing. While some ISA member states are hoping to see progress soon, a growing number of states are demanding more time to research the environmental impact of mining raw materials on the seabed and to develop an appropriate regulatory framework. What are the legal forms such a delay could take and what would the political consequences be? A team of researchers led by Pradeep Singh from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) have addressed these matters in the journal “Ocean Development & International Law”.

2025-03-07 09:27 AM — idw

Airborne microplastics: Where do they come from, where do they go?

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

How tiny plastic particles enter the atmosphere is an important question, as airborne microplastics are a potential health threat. Using a global chemical transport model, researchers have provided evidence that, contrary to previous claims, the ocean is not a major source of microplastics to the atmosphere, but a significant sink.

2025-03-05 12:31 PM — idw

Footprints of Deep-Sea Mining: New Study Examines the Spread of Deep-Sea Mining Sediment Plumes

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

05 March 2025/Kiel. The mining of polymetallic nodules from the seabed can lead to significant and long-lasting ecological changes - both in the mined area, where surface sediments and the fauna living in and on them are removed along with the nodules, and on the adjacent seabed, where the sediment displaced by mining is re-suspended. Independent researchers from the MiningImpact project and the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) monitored the testing of an industrial pre-prototype nodule collector vehicle and analysed the spread of sediment plumes and sediment redeposition. Their results have now been published in the journal Nature Communications.

2025-02-26 11:14 AM — idw

Impact of Unexploded Ordnance in the Baltic Sea: GEOMAR-Study Detects Toxic Munitions Chemicals in Water Samples

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

26.02.2025/Kiel. The south-western Baltic Sea has about 3,000 kilograms of dissolved toxic chemicals released from unexploded ordnance, according to a new study by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The substances were detected in almost all water samples taken in 2017 and 2018, with particularly high concentrations in the Bights of Kiel and Lübeck. The levels are still below thresholds for health risk, but highlight the urgent need for munitions clearance to minimise long-term risks. The study has now been published in the journal Chemosphere.

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