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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.

Topics from Public Debate

Focus

Karte von Norddeutschland mit gekennzeichneten Gebieten Munitionsversenkung, Munitionbelastete FLäche, Munitionsverdachtsfällen. — Karte: Nach Böttcher et al. 2011, in DAM Factsheet Munition im Meer.

> Ammunition

Munition im Meer – Sachstand und Perspektiven

Kampfmittel im Meer sind eine Bedrohung für die Meeresumwelt und ein Nachhaltigkeitsrisiko für die Bewirtschaftung der Meere. Zum Ausmaß dieser Bedrohung und dem zukünftigen Umgang mit der Altlast wird intensiv geforscht.

DAM

Insight

Cumulonimbus Wolke über Meereshorizont vom Forschungsschiff Sonne aus fotografiert.

> The Ocean as a Climate Buffer

The Ocean as a Climate Buffer

Only in the past few decades have we humans become aware of the crucial role the ocean plays in the Earth's climate system and how it is changing itself due to climate change.

Meere Online

Multimedia

> Marine Engergy

Planungsgebiete Offshore Windparks

Die interaktive Karte des Helmholtz-Zentrums Hereon zeigt Lage und Größe der Offshore-Windparks und Schutzgebiete in Nord- und Ostsee für die Szenarienplanung.

Hereon

Multimedia

> Restoration

Die Wiederansiedlung der Europäischen Auster

Die Europäische Auster übernimmt wichtige Ökosystemfunktionen in ihrem Lebensraum. Sie gilt in der deutschen Nordsee derzeit als ausgestorben und soll in einem Projekt am Alfred-Wegener-Institut wiederangesiedelt werden.

AWI

Website

> Plastic Litter

Runder Tisch Meeresmüll

Eine Informationsplattform für alle relevanten Interessensgruppen über die Koordinierung und Umsetzung nationaler Maßnahmen gegen Meeresmüll. Rund 130 Expert:innen unterstützen die Arbeit des Runden Tisches, der 2016 ins Leben gerufen wurde.

UBA

Press Releases from Marine Research by Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (idw)

idw (Informationsdienst Wissenschaft)

2024-11-22 11:29 AM — idw

Student training on Polarstern’s transit to the Antarctic

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

This weekend, the research vessel Polarstern is scheduled to depart from her homeport in Bremerhaven. In addition to the crew, 33 scientific expedition participants will be on board – primarily young researchers whose job it will be to familiarise themselves with using echosounders to survey the ocean floor.

2024-11-21 03:43 PM — idw

Data collector on the seafloor: New measuring node was placed off Boknis Eck today

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

21 November 2024/Kiel. One of the oldest marine time series stations in the world is located in Eckernförde Bay, just under two kilometres off the coast: Boknis Eck. Since 1957, data on the state of the Baltic Sea have been collected regularly from a ship and, since 2016, also from an underwater observatory on the seafloor. After the device disappeared in 2019, the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel today launched a new, modernised measuring node with the research vessel ALKOR. The underwater station will soon resume providing continuous data on key environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity and currents.

2024-11-19 08:15 AM — idw

Hereon names a very special ship

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Accompanied by around 400 guests, the ship naming ceremony was led by Karin Prien, Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister of Science, who assumed the role of sponsor for this remarkable vessel. CORIOLIS is a floating, multi-purpose laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment designed for coastal, hydrogen, and membrane research. It also represents a step toward environmentally friendly maritime technology, which empowers environmental protection and climate sensitivity.

2024-11-14 01:35 PM — idw

European Initiative to Clear Old Munitions from the Seas: Project Launch of MMinE-SwEEPER at GEOMAR

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

14 November 2024/Kiel. The EU project MMinE-SwEEPER has been launched with a big kick-off meeting at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. Led by Professor Dr Jens Greinert, the project will bring together 20 international partners to develop innovative and safe strategies for removing unexploded ordnance from the sea. With a budget of almost six million euros, MMinE-SwEEPER will work over the next three and a half years to develop solutions to this urgent environmental problem in European waters.

2024-11-14 11:11 AM — idw

How to deal with the 1.5°C Climate Target

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

In a position paper, the German Climate Consortium, of which the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology is a member, has made recommendations on how to deal with the widely discussed 1.5°C target in climate policy. According to the paper, the target is no longer achievable, but it cannot be abandoned either.

2024-11-14 09:55 AM — idw

Of Tiny Organisms and their Giant Impact on the Ocean: Susanne Neuer Receives Excellence Professorship

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

13 November 2024/Kiel. Professor Dr Susanne Neuer, renowned marine biogeochemist and professor at Arizona State University, was today awarded the 31st Excellence Professorship from the Prof. Dr Werner Petersen Foundation. The award ceremony took place at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany. In her keynote lecture, Susanne Neuer highlighted how phytoplankton and bacteria contribute to the global carbon cycle through the biological carbon pump. These processes play a crucial role in climate protection and are a core focus of Professor Neuer’s current research.

2024-11-13 09:31 AM — idw

Turning point in global fossil CO2 emissions has not yet been reached

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

Despite advances in clean and renewable energies, the growing consumption of oil and natural gas is causing global fossil emissions to climb: by the end of 2024, they are expected to increase to 37.4 billion metric tons of CO2. Despite the urgent need to reduce emissions and slow climate change, there is no indication that a turning point has been reached in fossil CO2 emissions worldwide. This is the conclusion of the Global Carbon Project, which researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute / the University of Bremen and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich) participate in.

2024-11-12 03:55 PM — idw

First amber find on the Antarctic continent

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

Southernmost discovery of amber allows new insights into Cretaceous forests near the South Pole
Roughly 90 million years ago, climatic conditions in Antarctica were suitable for resin-producing trees. A team of researchers led by the Alfred Wegener Institute and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg have just released a paper in the journal Antarctic Science, in which they describe the southernmost discovery of amber in the world.

2024-11-12 01:47 PM — idw

World Climate Conference COP29 in Baku: Focus on coastal ecosystems for climate and species protection

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

Side event at the German Pavilion with participation of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

Mangrove forests, salt marshes and seagrass meadows absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, strengthen biodiversity and protect coastal regions. On 21 November, a side event at the German Pavilion at COP29 will see experts debate how effective management of vegetation-rich coastal ecosystems could be planned to preserve these important services and support reaching climate targets.

2024-11-11 01:55 PM — idw

Key Recommendations for Improving Ocean Observation: European Ocean Research Community Calls for Enhanced Monitoring

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

11.11.2024/Kiel/Baku. European marine researchers are calling for an urgent improvement and standardisation of ocean monitoring. The call is also addressed to the international community, which gathers in Baku from today for the UN Climate Change Conference COP29. To preserve the ocean as a partner in the fight against climate change, it is imperative that its state is comprehensively monitored. This is the message of two reports that describe the main gaps and challenges in Europe, but also outline solutions to improve monitoring and protection of the oceans. The papers are a result of the EU project EuroSea, coordinated by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany.

2024-11-08 11:00 AM — idw

How much climate change is in the weather?

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

New AWI simulations make it possible to compare actual extreme weather events in various climate scenarios, and to gauge the role of global warming in connection with these extremes in the process.

2024-11-06 10:57 AM — idw

Volcanic Ash as a Source of Nutrients: How the Hunga Tonga Eruption has affected Ecosystems in the South Pacific

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

06 November 2024/Kiel. The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in January 2022 released massive quantities of volcanic material into the ocean and atmosphere. Researchers from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have investigated how this has affected surface water biogeochemistry in the South Pacific. During a GEOTRACES expedition, the team showed that large amounts of trace elements, including iron, were introduced into the ocean, fostering phytoplankton growth. This nutrient input could have a lasting effect on marine life and could increase the ocean's capacity to sequester CO₂. The findings have now been published in the journal Nature Communications.

2024-11-04 03:08 PM — idw

Domino Effect in the Amazon Region

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

New publication: Adaptivity threatened by global warming and deforestation

2024-11-04 02:11 PM — idw

From Africa to Australia: Expedition SO308 Investigates Trace Elements and Isotopes in the Indian Ocean

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

04 November 2024/Kiel/Durban. An international research expedition led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel set sail with the German research vessel SONNE into the largely unexplored Indian Ocean. This marine area is of great importance for the global climate and nutrient cycles in the ocean. During the nearly eight week voyage from Africa to Australia, the research team will investigate how trace elements and their isotopes — including essential micronutrients like iron, cobalt, and zinc — affect marine ecosystems and their capacity for CO₂ absorption.

2024-10-29 01:21 PM — idw

New GEOMAR study: Bacterial communities on seagrass leaves suppress waterborne pathogens

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

29. October 2024/Kiel. Seagrass meadows are not only nurseries for fish, coastal protectors and CO2 reservoirs, they are also very effective in reducing the load of pathogens in the surrounding seawater. Scientists of the Research Unit Marine Natural Product Chemistry at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have investigated the microbial communities living on the surface of Baltic seagrass leaves and found that those so-called epiphytic bacteria have strong antibiotic effect against pathogens that are commonly found in the sea and capable of causing diseases in marine organisms and human. They have now published their results in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

2024-10-29 10:21 AM — idw

New study on the potential of alternative measures (OECMs) for biodiversity conservation

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

At COP16 in Calí, Colombia, member states are currently discussing how the global nature agreement adopted in Montreal in 2022 can be implemented. The goals include protecting 30% of the world's land and sea areas by 2030. In a new study an international team of researchers led by the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) uses the example of Indonesia to provide critical insights into how alternative forms of conservation – so-called “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs) – can complement marine protected areas (MPAs) to meet this biodiversity target. The results of the study have recently been published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management.

2024-10-29 09:32 AM — idw

Trawls reduce carbon storage

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Intensive fishing on the seabed increases the release of carbon

Flatfish and shrimp are caught in the North Sea by using trawls that are dragged across the seabed. This releases carbon into the water and carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, as shown by the latest research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. The study is part of the collaborative project APOC. Partners are the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND).

2024-10-28 12:21 PM — idw

Baku Ocean Declaration in Advance of UN Climate Conference: GEOMAR Collaborating Partner in the Ocean Pavilion at COP29

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

28.10.2024/Kiel. Ocean Pavilion partners are calling on world leaders to make robust, long-term investments in ocean observation, research, and mapping to help achieve key goals of UN conventions on climate, biodiversity, and desertification. The Baku Ocean Declaration is issued ahead of the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP29), being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov 11-22. The declaration emphasizes the crucial role of ocean knowledge in the well-being of people, communities, and ecosystems worldwide. GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel participates in this year’s Ocean Pavilion.

2024-10-25 10:00 AM — idw

Shedding Light on the Ocean’s Twilight Zone: EU Twinning Project to Investigate Deep-Sea Food Webs around Madeira

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

25 October 2024/Kiel/Funchal. A kick-off meeting was held yesterday in Funchal, Madeira, to officially launch the EU Twinning project TWILIGHTED. Over the next three years, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel will work as the German partner alongside institutions from Norway and Portugal to explore the twilight zone in waters around Madeira. At the same time, marine research in Madeira will be strengthened through knowledge transfer, with the goal to establish a long-term partnership with the Portuguese institute. TWILIGHTED is funded by the EU through Horizon Europe with 1.5 million euros.

2024-10-24 03:49 PM — idw

AI model for aquatic biodiversity

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

In the AqQua project Hereon is involved in monitoring global populations of organisms in water

Plankton and organic particles take up carbon from the atmosphere, transporting it from the water’s surface to the deep sea. As a result, the Earth’s climate is heavily influenced by life in the water. The AqQua project aims to determine how many of these microscopic organisms exist globally, how they are distributed, and how these patterns are changing due to climate change. Researchers are analyzing billions of images for this purpose. The Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative (HFMI) is funding the project. Hereon is involved through its Institute for Carbon Cycles.

2024-10-23 12:56 PM — idw

Breathing deep: A metabolic secret of ethane-consuming archaea unraveled

Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie

Scientists from Bremen, Germany, characterize novel enzymes from deep-sea microbes with a key function in the ethane degradation process, revealing surprises in the metabolism of these organisms.

2024-10-23 10:32 AM — idw

Storing CO2, but the right way

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Two Hereon studies call for clear framework conditions for CO2 sequestration in coastal areas

A digital twin for projections, an independent body for certification and new legal structures for monitoring. This should help projects for CO2 storage in coastal areas, according to two recent studies with lead authorship or participation of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. The two papers were recently published in Environmental Research Letters and Elementa. The expertise of the Hereon authors is primarily aimed at politics and business.

2024-10-23 10:31 AM — idw

Rapid genome analysis of a Whippet sighthound sets new standard for biodiversity research

Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

The continuing global loss of biodiversity is making it increasingly necessary to rapidly collect and analyse genetic information on endangered species. In a joint project, the Department of Human Genetics at Bioscientia Institute for Medical Diagnostics GmbH in Ingelheim am Rhein and the LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG) in Frankfurt, both in Germany, have sequenced and analysed the complete genome of a Whippet sighthound in less than a week. This advance could have a lasting impact on genome research in species and biodiversity conservation. The study has been published in the journal “GigaByte”.

2024-10-22 02:29 PM — idw

Tipping Points as Indicators of Positive Change

Forschungsinstitut für Nachhaltigkeit Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam

As global climate targets tighten, radical and disruptive changes are becoming inevitable. In this context, the concept of tipping points, by which small changes can trigger rapid systemic transformation, is attracting increasing attention in the social sciences. In a new study published in the journal Global Environmental Change, a team from the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) draws on two case studies to show that socio-technical tipping points can be anticipated.

2024-10-17 12:22 PM — idw

New Method for Measuring Luminescence Lifetime Offers Breakthrough in Scientific Imaging

Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Leibniz-Institute for Baltic Sea Research and University of Copenhagen introduce an innovative approach to image luminescence lifetimes. This simple approach uses readily-available cost-effective equipment, paving the way for advanced studies of chemical dynamics in environmental and biological systems. For example, it allows to record oxygen dynamics with much higher temporal and spatial precision.

The federal government and the governments of the five northern German states support the current development and sponsor the DAM