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Microplastic in the Arctic: To date, determining the level of plastic pollution on Arctic shores and the origins of the microplastic there has proven difficult. In response, AWI researchers asked tourists on Arctic cruises to lend a hand: On the shores of Spitsbergen, they collected samples. Subsequent testing revealed microplastic in the samples, which most likely came from ships and fishing nets.
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Dear readers,
Welcome to the second instalment of our “Inside AWI” newsletter. Today we’d like to take you along on a journey to the fascinating world of polar and marine research. While summer is drawing to a close here in Germany, our research icebreaker Polarstern is already underway in frigid waters – on an expedition to the Central Arctic. Led by AWI Director Antje Boetius, more than fifty experts are exploring the changing Arctic: In the course of two months, they will investigate the biology, chemistry and physics of the sea ice, and the effects of sea-ice retreat on the entire ecosystem, from the surface to the ocean’s depths. Check out the Polarstern Web-App for daily updates and reports from on board.
Also in this issue: You’ll discover why the Arctic cod is vital to the Arctic ecosystem and we’ll show you how average citizens are supporting the work done by our researchers.
Moreover, we’ll present two young researchers who just received the Wladimir Köppen Prize for their outstanding dissertations. Congratulations, Miriam Seifert and Luisa von Albedyll!
We could go on, but will just say: enjoy reading!
Marlena Witte
Communications and Media Relations
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Press Release of the Month
Climate change threatens Arctic polar cod stocks
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The Arctic cod is the most commonly found fish species in the Arctic Ocean. It represents an important food source for the Arctic’s marine mammals and plays an important part in the livelihoods of the Inuit. An international research team, including experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, has now analysed the most important academic works on the Arctic cod published in the past few decades. Their conclusion: Especially the massive retreat of Arctic sea-ice cover, a product of anthropogenic climate change, could have serious impacts on the species’ future distribution.
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Audio Diary from On Board the Polarstern
In daily audio entries, AWI Director and head of the ArcWatch Expedition Antje Boetius reports on the latest developments in the current Polarstern expedition to the Arctic.
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Delegation trip with the AWI
A delegation from the German Parliament’s Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment recently travelled to Norway, visiting the Polarstern in Tromsø before continuing to the AWIPEV station in Ny-Ålesund.
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Helmholtz Holiday Camp at AWI Facilities on Sylt
The fourth nationwide Helmholtz Holiday Camp was hosted this July. 160 children and 27 members of staff from 13 Helmholtz Centres and the Helmholtz Head Office met to spend the holidays together and explore the AWI facilities on Sylt.
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3 Questions For:
Dr Miriam Seifert and Dr Luisa von Albedyll
In recognition of their excellent dissertations, young researchers Miriam Seifert and Luisa von Albedyll have been awarded the 2022 Wladimir Köppen Prize. Including a 5,000-euro cash component, the prize, which recognises outstanding dissertations written in the German-speaking countries, has been awarded by Universität Hamburg’s Cluster of Excellence for climate research since 2009.
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1. What did your dissertations focus on?
Miriam Seifert: In my dissertation, I worked with a biogeochemical ocean model. I investigated how the phytoplankton production and phytoplankton community would look in the future ocean if not only the effects of ocean acidification, but also mutually dependent growth factors were reflected. Though these effects have been fairly well documented in lab experiments, they aren’t yet included in simulations of large-scale biogeochemical ocean models. We saw that, while ocean acidification only has a minor direct effect on phytoplankton growth, its indirect effects through interactions with other factors have a substantial influence on the future projection for phytoplankton. In brief, my work shows that today’s biogeochemical ocean models largely ignore important growth-determining factors that could readily influence projections on the future biological pump.
Luisa von Albedyll: My focus was on Arctic sea-ice thickness and how it’s changing. I was particularly interested in how the sea-ice thickness changes when floes collide to form pressure ridges, and when they drift apart, creating leads in the ice. Using ice-thickness readings taken with aeroplanes or helicopters, together with ice-movement data that I derived from satellite imagery, I was able to determine how important these dynamic changes are for the total ice thickness. To help ensure that we accurately capture these processes in our sea-ice and climate models, I took a closer look at the conditions under which the ice dynamically becomes thicker or thinner and made proposals for describing the processes in our models.
2. What will you do with the prize money?
Miriam Seifert: I haven’t decided yet, but I’m sure I’ll find a good use for it in the years to come.
Luisa von Albedyll: I could use the prize money to help balance my young family and my work. Since I currently do a lot of traveling, my son and husband often come along. Or they need some support at home while I’m away. This all produces extra costs, some of which are also covered by the AWI Family Office (and we’re very grateful for their support!). I’ll use the prize money to make those times a bit easier on us. It will also make weighing career interests against family interests easier in the future.
3. What’s next in your career?
Miriam Seifert: I’m currently working as a postdoc in the Marine Biogeosciences Section and the Young Investigator Group MarESys led by Judith Hauck. I’m also currently preparing a DFG application for a three-year postdoc position and plan to submit a DAAD application for a six-month stay abroad. As a biologist, and someone who really enjoyed doing fieldwork on the Polarstern, I’d like to continue combining experimental biology and biogeochemical modelling.
Luisa von Albedyll: I recently got some great news – I was granted an ESA CCI Fellowship for the next two years. That means I’ll continue to work at the AWI and concentrate on using satellite data to gain a better grasp of long-term changes in Arctic ice thickness. I’m very excited about the opportunity to continue exploring my dissertation topic on a larger spatial and temporal scale.
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- Open day at the AWI site Helgoland
Saturday, 16.9.2023 I 14 to 18 Uhr I Helgoland
- Colloquium on the topic of biobased plastics
Wednesday, 20.9.2023 – Thursday, 21.9.2023 I Bremerhaven
» More information
- 12th REKLIM Regional Conference – „Climate Change in Regions"
Thursday, 28.9.2023 I 9 to 17 Uhr I Bremen
- MOSAiC exhibition in the "Kinderakademie Fulda"
Thursday, 28.09.2023 – April 2024 I Fulda
- Science goes PUBlic with AWI scientist Luisa von Albedyll
Thursday, 19.10.2023 I Bremerhaven
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We want to hear your feedback!
Have a question, complaint, positive feedback, or suggested topic you’d like to share with us? We’ll be happy to hear it; just email us at: newsletter@awi.de
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Alfred-Wegener-Institut
Helmholtz-Zentrum
fĂĽr Polar- und Meeresforschung
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven
Tel.: +49 (0)471 4831-0
https://www.awi.de
Newsletters Publisher:
Staff unit Commications and Media Relations
newsletter@awi.de
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