Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research

AWI-Wissenschaftler:innen untersuchen 1,2 Millionen Jahre altes Eis: Ein internationales Forschungsteam analysiert zur Zeit den ältesten Eiskern der Welt. Im Januar hat das Forschungsteam den Eiskern aus der #Antarktis mitgebracht. 🧊 Die Forschenden haben das Eis im Rahmen des EU-geförderten Projekts Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice auf dem Hochplateau in der Ostantarktis gebohrt. In speziellen Kühlcontainern wurden die Eisproben, die bis in 2.800 Meter Tiefe reichen, nach Bremerhaven transportiert. Nun lagern sie bei −30 Grad im Labor. Der in der Antarktis geborgene Eiskern reicht von der Eisoberfläche bis zum Meeresgrund. https://lnkd.in/dbsbNihY Foto: Kerstin Rolfes

Awards for Outstanding Doctoral Supervision Presented For the fourth time, the University of Bremen has honored outstanding doctoral supervision. The two awards went to geochemist Gesine Mollenhauer and political scientist klaus schlichte. The University of Bremen’s Alumni Network donated the prize money of 2,000 euros each. In his speech honoring Professor Gesine Mollenhauer, winner of the award in the natural sciences and engineering, her former doctoral candidate Dr. Manuel Ruben said: “One of the qualities that makes Gesine Mollenhauer truly outstanding is her ability to adapt her supervisory style to the individual needs of her doctoral candidates. Instead of expecting us to follow a uniform approach, she tailors her support to each individual – always with our well-being in mind." Gesine Mollenhauer is a professor of organic sedimentology within the University of Bremen's Faculty of Geosciences. She has been researching and teaching at the University of Bremen since 2011 and is the scientific director of a laboratory for radiocarbon dating at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI) in Bremerhaven. The prize in the humanities and social sciences went to Professor Klaus Schlichte, who has been a professor of international relations and global society within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Bremen since 2010. He is also the spokesperson for the Institute of Intercultural and International Studies. Currently, he is conducting research on three topics: knowledge in German security policy, social dynamics in African societies, and armed conflicts. “Exceptional supervision cannot be measured in numbers,” stated his former doctoral candidate Dr. Ahmed Elsayed. “You can feel it in the growth of self-confidence, in the clarity gained, and in the personalities that are shaped as a result. Those who guide others with understanding and care leave their mark on people, not just in manuscripts.” Bremen Early Career Researcher Development BYRD Alumni der Universität Bremen Marie Saade Diana Ebersberger

Heute bricht die Polarstern in die Arktis auf: Vom norwegischen Tromsø aus, startet unser Forschungseisbrecher zu der "Contrasts"-Expedition. Das internationale Forschungsteam an Bord will in den kommenden zwei Monaten untersuchen, warum das Meereis abschmilzt und welche Folgen das hat.🧊 Dafür analysieren die Wissenschaftler:innen Unterschiede im Schmelzen verschiedener Meereistypen, die die Arktis der vergangenen Dekaden, der Gegenwart und der Zukunft repräsentieren. Eine parallele Flugzeugkampagne ergänzt die Messungen und zu Beginn der Expedition unterstützt die Polarstern die erste Eis-Erprobung der neuen französischen Forschungsplattform Tara Polar Station. https://lnkd.in/dPDNJ2Nn Tara Ocean Fondation Foto: Folke Mehrtens / Alfred-Wegener-Institut

At this year's North Sea Conference in Oldenburg, AWI scientists and CLANCY project representatives Björn Suckow and Oliver Hauck won two awards at the 2025 North Sea Video & Photo Contest. Their entries took first place in the "Free for All" video category and the "North Sea Places" photo category. 🦀 Their submissions showcase the CLANCY project, which aims to reduce the population of invasive Chinese mitten crabs in European waterways. The project involves testing innovative traps and exploring sustainable uses, such as aquaculture feed and chitin extraction. AWI coordinates parts of the fieldwork, evaluates trap effectiveness, and leads international public outreach. AWI photographer Esther Horvath took the winning photo, and AWI colleagues Heide Matz and Carlotta Labitzke produced the video. Björn Suckow, who is responsible for outreach within the project, emphasized the value of this recognition: "Personally, I am extremely happy that we won these awards, as they will help us reach an even broader audience for our current and future activities." The North Sea Conference is a key platform for exchange among political, academic, and practical stakeholders in the region. The conference aims to strengthen resilience, sustainability, and regional cooperation. #madewithinterreg #weareNorthSea #interregNorthSea UAntwerp - Biology UAntwerp - ECOSPHERE

Currently the #EUArcticForum takes place on the lands of the Finnish Sámi, in Kittilä, Finland. We are grateful to be here, representing the Arctic PASSION project and the Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, and to meet with the European Arctic research community, EU representatives, Youth and Indigenous Peoples' representatives. Tomorrow we look forward to listen to the Arctic and European youth and the Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic Youth Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples’ Dialogue.

Are you an expert in marine microbial ecology? We are looking for a talented Researcher / Postdoc for "molecular investigations on microbial ecology in deep-sea polymetallic nodule fields" to join our team at the AWI in Bremerhaven. Your primary focus will be on benthic microbial communities in manganese nodule ecosystems of the CCZ, combining analyses of taxonomic and functional diversity and integrating them with knowledge on environmental characteristics. 🔗 Find out more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/dQNZen-3 #TeamAWI Foto: Tim Kalvalage

The call for our 2026 postdoc cohort is now open. Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is a rich, largely ungoverned marine habitat facing growing human activity. It plays a key role in regulating climate but is rapidly changing due to global warming. These changes threaten cold-adapted species and ecosystems. We invite applications for four positions, covering natural and social science perspectives, that will cohere around the ‘dilemma’ facing the Southern Ocean: how competing interests impact its governance, but also drive the need for greater science to understand its changes: #1 Geopolitical dilemmas for management: transfer for governance #2 Sustaining the keystone: Rethinking Antarctic krill fishery management under climate change #3 Navigating uncertainty: Planning marine protected areas in a changing Southern Ocean #4 Acoustic possibilities for Southern Ocean management dilemmas View all positions here: hifmb.de/jobs Application open until August 24th, 2025.

Happy Mittwinter ❄️🌌🐧 Das 45. Überwinterungsteam der Neumayer-Station III sendet Mittwinter-Grüße aus der Antarktis. Ab jetzt werden die Tage wieder heller, die Temperaturen noch kälter und die Pinguine zahlreicher. Mittwinter ist eine Zeit, um innezuhalten, die Schönheit der eisigen Landschaft zu bewundern und die unglaubliche Entschlossenheit unseres Überwinterungsteams zu würdigen, die dort leben und arbeiten.

How do you turn complex radar data into accessible knowledge for climate and polar research? The Radar Data Viewer developed by Dr. Steven Franke, Dr. Veit Helm, and Dr. Daniel Steinhage (Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung) provides a powerful answer. With a strong collaborative approach, seamless integration with the data platform PANGAEA, and a clear focus on usability, the project brings real added value to the research community. It exemplifies what impactful, sustainable data work can look like – and why the team received the Data Champion Award 2025. The award ceremony took place during the evening event of #UBRA Research Data Day on June 11, 2025, at the Bremen Parliament. The Data Champion Award is an annual prize presented by #DataNord, Data Competence Center for the Bremen Region. It honors outstanding achievements in the field of research data and exceptional commitment to FAIR data practices. The award includes a monetary prize of €1,500, supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU. 🎥 In this video, the researchers explain the idea behind the Radar Data Viewer, its benefits, and the motivation that drives their work. Die Senatorin für Umwelt, Klima und Wissenschaft, Data Science Center (DSC) der Universität Bremen, Universität Bremen, Frank Oliver Glöckner, Rolf Drechsler, Tanja Hörner, Lena Steinmann, Dr. Lina Schaare

Tomaten im ewigen Eis? Klingt nach "Der Marsianer 2", war aber EDEN ISS: Das Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V. und das Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung haben in der Antarktis über eine Tonne Gemüse geerntet – ohne Erde, ohne Sonnenlicht. Die Forschung bringt uns Antworten auf die Frage, wie Pflanzenanbau in extremen Umgebungen möglich ist – für Raumfahrtmissionen oder Regionen ohne Zugang zu frischer Nahrung. EDEN ISS ist inzwischen zurück in Bremen und wird als EDEN LUNA weiterentwickelt: für den Einsatz in der LUNA-Mondforschungsanlage von Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V. und ESA. Mehr Infos: https://t1p.de/2jkao