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Biodiversity

Millions of species live in the sea. Biodiversity contributes to the health of the ocean, regulates the climate, and provides valuable resources. Protecting biodiversity is crucial for the survival of our planet.

Overview
> Biodiversity

The Importance of Marine Biodiversity

The ocean is home to millions of species. This incredible diversity helps maintain the ocean’s health, regulates the climate, and provides valuable resources. Protecting marine biodiversity is essential for the survival of our planet.

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Large algae move under water
Picture: Dirk Schories
> Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem Services

All ecosystem services of the ocean are vital for both humanity and nature.

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Colourful corals can be seen in the foreground and darker rocks in the background. Various fish swim above the corals.
Picture: Franceso Ungaro, Unsplash
> Biodiversity

Diversity of species

The ocean forms the largest continuous habitat on Earth and is home to millions of different plants, animals, and microorganisms.

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A diver swims over coral reefs that are not colorful, but completely white due to coral bleaching. This image was taken off Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef in 2015.
Picture: The Ocean Agency, Ocean Image Bank
> Ecosystem Change

Ecosystem Change

Ecosystems can withstand the pressure arising from climate change and human interventions only to a certain extent.

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Seagrass meadow in the Eckernförde Bay
Picture: Jan Dierking, GEOMAR
> Restoration

Ecosystem Restoration

Today, many ecosystems are disturbed or even destroyed, but some can be restored - for the benefit of people and nature.

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Website
> Ecosystem Services

Seagrass meadow habitat

Seagrass meadows, their ecosystem services, their protection and their restoration are presented clearly and concisely in the information series ‘Discover’ of the GEOMAR Research Centre.

GEOMAR
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
Multimedia
> Biodiversity

15 answers on biodiversity

Biodiversity is under threat worldwide. The digital dossier of the Leopoldina, National Academy of Sciences, answers key questions on biodiversity with clear graphics and comprehensible texts.

Leopoldina
PDF
> Restoration

Restoration of marine ecosystems

This policy paper (2023) for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) addresses the restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems, outlines the context, identifies challenges, and provides recommendations for action.

BMUV
Website
> Biodiversity

Transfer office for marine biodiversity change

Marine biodiversity is under pressure. The HIFMB Transfer Office for Marine Biodiversity Change provides facts and expertise from science for politics, marine conservation and management.

HIFMB
Multimedia
> Ecosystem Services

Dive through the coral reef

Dive into one of the most biodiverse marine regions in the world: In this video, the Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) shows the importance of coral reefs for humans and the effects of climate change on these unique ecosystems.

ZMT
Website
> Biodiversity

Fact check biodiversity

What is the state of biodiversity in Germany? The BMBF Research Initiative for the Conservation of Biodiversity (FEdA) provides facts, a comprehensive database, and recommendations to counteract biodiversity loss.

FEdA
Website
> Ecosystem Change

The changing face of the North Sea

This focus area of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) provides up-to-date knowledge on changes in biodiversity, the impacts of climate change, and advisory services at the North Sea Office.

AWI
Website
> Biodiversity

New species in the Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea is currently changing more rapidly than it has in thousands of years. This focus area of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) vividly illustrates the changes caused by introduced species.

AWI
Multimedia
> Ecosystem Services

Biodiversity at the Humboldt Current

This information video presents the Humboldt Current upwelling area off the Pacific coast of South America, which provides millions of tonnes of fish and seafood every year and is considered a hotspot of marine biodiversity.

Humboldt Tipping
Website
> Ecosystem Services

Deep-sea biodiversity

The biodiversity and ecosystem functions of the deep sea are far from being fully explored. This contribution to the information series ‘Discover’ by the GEOMAR Research Centre presents fascinating findings about the largest habitat on earth.

GEOMAR
Multimedia
> Biodiversity

MARUM TV: Deep sea dives

Research videos show fascinating habitats and biodiversity in the deep sea, explanatory films and expedition reports complete the ‘MARUM TV’ offering from the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen.

MARUM | University of Bremen
Website
> Ecosystem Change

Arctic species in climate change

Living conditions in the Arctic have changed as rapidly in recent decades as in hardly any other ecosystem on Earth. This thematic focus from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) provides the facts.

AWI
Website
> Restoration

Can reefs recover after coral bleaching?

Can coral reefs regain their functions after coral bleaching? What factors contribute to the recovery of species-rich ecosystems? This summary of an international study by the Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) provides answers.

ZMT
Website
> Biodiversity

Threats to marine mammals

This database contains various threats faced by over 120 species of marine mammals worldwide, including whales, seals, polar bears, sea otters and manatees, provided by the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo).

TiHo
PDF
> Ecosystem Change

Octopuses and climate change

Why cephalopods are better adapted to climate change than other marine animals, and what the significance of their spread in the North Sea could be for fish stocks and the fishing industry, is explained in this article.

Thünen Institute
Website
> Biodiversity

Invasive lionfish

Invasive species pose major challenges to ecosystems worldwide. The Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) reports on how an app can help with research into invasive lionfish in Brazil.

ZMT
Website
> Ecosystem Services

FutureMARES

FutureMARES is an EU-funded research project that investigates the relationships between climate change, marine biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

FutureMARES
Website
Pazifische Auster im Watt
Bild von Hans auf Pixabay
> Ecosystem Services

BeachExplorer

The BeachExplorer is the sister portal to the BalticExplorer and offers identification aids and fascinating information about finds on the North Sea coast. Submit your findings and help advance scientific research on the North Sea coastline.

Wadden Sea Conservation Station
Website
Ostesee Düne mit Strandhafer. Bild von Norbert Waldhausen auf Pixabay
Bild von Norbert Waldhausen auf Pixabay
> Ecosystem Services

BalticExplorer

The BalticExplorer is the sister portal to the BeachExplorer and provides identification aids and fascinating information about finds on the Baltic Sea coast. Here, you can report your Baltic Sea beach finds and contribute to scientific research.

Wadden Sea Conservation Station

Find Connections

More on "Biodiversity" from other subject areas:

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.

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Filamentous green layers grow over seagrasses on the mudflats. They cover the seagrass meadow like a carpet and overgrow everything.
Picture: Dirk Schories
> Nutrients

Nutrients in the Ocean

If nutrients are present in sufficient quantities, marine life follows its usual course. However, when they are excessively introduced large blooms of algae can occur.

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So-called nodule frames for a deep-sea manganese nodule recolonisation experiment.
Picture: ROV Team, GEOMAR
> Mineral Resources

Deep-Sea Mining

Untapped ore deposits lie in the depths of the oceans; plans for extraction are underway, yet the impact on the delicate deep-sea ecosystems remains largely unknown.

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A ship with four fisherman and a lots of red king crab in a metal container.
Picture: Jeff Hester, Ocean Image Bank
> Fisheries and Aquaculture

Fisheries and Aquaculture

Fish and seafood are among the most widely traded foods in the world; but only sustainable management can ensure their preservation and their contribution to tackling the climate and biodiversity crises.

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The sun sets into the sea on the horizon
Picture: DAM
> Ocean Warming

Ocean Warming

The ocean absorbes a huge amount of heat at its surface, which is stored at increasing depths. This leads to an increase in water temperature, impacting the climate and the marine life.

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Close-up of a pteropod sea snail
Picture: Dirk Schories
> Ocean Acidification

Ocean Acidification

The absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere leads to fundamental changes in the chemistry of the ocean, impacting biological processes across a variety of life forms.

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Dead bird in an old fishing net that has been turned into a nest. A live gannet stands next to the tangle of nets.
Picture: Silke, Pixabay
> Plastic Litter

Marine Plastic Litter

The ocean's pollution issue is growing exponentially. An increasing production and disposal of plastics contribute to the problem.

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Ein Ozeandampfer hinterlässt eine lange, weiß schäumende Spur, die bis zum Horizont sichtbar ist. Schiffsschraubenverwirbelungen sind hör- und sichtbar. Bild von neufal54 auf Pixabay
Foto: neufal54, Pixabay
> Underwater Noise

Underwater Noise

Things are getting louder underwater: construction noise, engine noise and explosions can harm marine life and disrupt their communication or even make it impossible.

Meere Online
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
Projection on UN headquarters shows 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the run-up to the September 2015 summit
Picture: UN Photo, Cia Pak, UN7879217
> Ocean Governance

Polluter Pays and Precautionary Principle

The precautionary principle and the polluter pays principle are important foundations for the regulations on the protection of coasts and oceans.

Meere Online
Focus
Large algae in light-flooded water. Photographed from below.
Picture: Dirk Schories
> Ocean Warming

Oxygen deficiency

The world’s seas oceans are losing oxygen – one of the most vital building blocks of life. The main causes: ocean waters are steadily warming, and excessive nutrient input in many coastal areas is driving widespread imbalance.

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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
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

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

Topics at a Glance

Biodiversity

Climate Change

Ocean Use

Pollution

Management

Research