Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research

Our PhD candidates Carla Pein (GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel) and Barbara Dörmbach (Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung) have just returned from the research cruise PS148 on RV Polarstern, operated by the Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, where they worked at the long-term ecological observatory HAUSGARTEN in the Fram Strait. Their mission? Sampling Arctic phyto- and zooplankton for the INDIFUN-AI project to better understand ecosystem dynamics in a rapidly changing ocean. Using the handnet, they collected plankton samples, while the PlanctoScope provided real-time imaging of phytoplankton right on board. Zooplankton samples were collected to assess grazing rates on phytoplankton and to search for biochemical indicators for mycoplankton. Stay tuned for exciting data and insights from the high North!  🌐 🧊 🌊 #Polarstern #HAUSGARTEN #PS148 #ArcticResearch #Phytoplankton #Zooplankton #PlanktonEcology #INDIFUNAI #ScienceAtSea #AWI #GEOMAR

Extreme Temperaturen verändern arktische Fjord-Ökosysteme: In einer aktuellen Studie zeigen Forschende des AWI, des Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) und des Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, wie sich marine Hitzewellen und Kälteperioden auf die Artenvielfalt und die Zusammensetzung arktischer Ökosysteme auswirken. Die Arktis erwärmt sich schneller als jede andere Region der Erde und gilt daher als Frühwarnsystem für den Klimawandel. Das Forschungsteam nutzt KI-gestützte Analysen, um zu untersuchen, welche Auswirkungen Temperaturanomalien auf die biologische Vielfalt in arktischen Fjorden haben. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass extreme Temperaturen in direktem Zusammenhang mit der Gesamtzahl mariner Organismen stehen. Solche Veränderungen können das Gleichgewicht sensibler Lebensgemeinschaften langfristig stören. Die Studie unterstreicht zudem das Potenzial von KI, um komplexe ökologische Zusammenhänge in großen Datenmengen sichtbar zu machen. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKrrVubW Foto: Philipp Fischer

Sampling at the Wreck of the Tirpitz – Investigating the Environmental Legacy of War As part of the REMARCO project’s fieldwork in Northern Norway, our team carried out a targeted sampling campaign at the wreck of the battleship Tirpitz near Tromsø in late May 2025. The Tirpitz, sunk by British bombers in 1944, salvaged thereafter by Norwegians, remains on the seafloor as both a historical artifact and a potential environmental risk. Working with SeaTerra and VLIZ, we sampled water, sediment, and benthic fauna in close proximity to the wreck – using crawler systems and technical diving to access critical zones. The goal: 🔬 Assessing the chemical and ecological footprint of corroding wartime wrecks and munitions – a largely overlooked but growing issue in marine pollution. Local communities showed strong interest, and the campaign was accompanied by both German (Reschke Fernsehen) and Norwegian film crews, with coverage expected later this summer. By revisiting the wrecks of history with scientific tools, REMARCO helps inform future decisions on monitoring, risk assessment, and environmental protection in post-conflict marine zones. #REMARCO #MarinePollution #WWIIwrecks #Tirpitz #SubmergedMunitions #SamplingCampaign #OceanHealth #ScienceInAction #LegacyOfWar #EnvironmentalScience #SeaTerra #VLIZ #BlueResearch #Munitionsinthesea Interreg North Sea Programme SeaTerra Technologies GmbH Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung © Sven van Haelst, VLIZ 2025. All rights reserved. © Romina Schuster, AWI 2025. All rights reserved.

Jubiläum auf See: Herzlichen Glückwunsch, FS Heincke! 💐 Am 8. Juli 1990 wurde die Heincke in Dienst gestellt. Seitdem hat sie zahlreiche wissenschaftliche Expeditionen in der Nordsee und im Nordatlantik unterstützt. Zum Jubiläum ist die Heincke auf Expedition HE664 unterwegs. An der stürmischen Doggerbank untersucht die AWI-Arbeitsgruppe Nordsee-Benthos derzeit an 151 Stationen die Organismengemeinschaften des Meeresbodens in der Deutschen Bucht. Ziel ist es, den Zustand der Meeresumwelt in der Nordsee langfristig zu erfassen. Wir danken der aktuellen Besatzung sowie allen, die in den vergangenen 35 Jahren an Bord geforscht und gearbeitet haben. Happy Birthday, Heincke! 🎉 Fotos: Heiner Mueller-Elsner, Melanie Stadler

Wie ist das Leben in der Dunkelheit der Polarnacht? Das Überwinterungsteam der Neumayer-Station III in der Antarktis berichtet von ihren Erlebnissen im AtkaXpress-Blog 🌌 https://lnkd.in/dWPrSNeM Foto: Lukas Weis

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.