Claudia Thölen
Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (» Postal address)
Claudia Thölen
Since 2016, I have been working in the working group Marine Sensor Systems, first as a student assistant and since 2020 as a research associate.
I am interested in oceanographic and bio-optical research and have gained a lot of practical experience on numerous research cruises.
As a PhD student in the BASS project I am working on the formation, transformation and degradation processes of dissolved organic matter in the surface layer of the ocean.
I am responsible for the website of the working group and assist in the support of the Spiekeroog Coastal Observatory (SCO).
Curriculum vitae
| since 02/2023 | PhD student and research associate in the project "BASS” Working Group Marine Sensor Systems, University of Oldenburg |
| 09/2020 – 02/2023 | Research associate in the project "Gute Küste Niedersachsen” Working Group Marine Sensor Systems, University of Oldenburg |
| 03/2020 – 03/2020 | Student Assistant, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven |
| 05/2018 – 07/2020 | Mussel monitoring Wadden Sea National Park Administration, Wilhelmshaven |
| 04/2018 – 09/2020 | Master Program, Marine Sensors, University of Oldenburg Topic of master thesis: Optimization of Image Processing Operators for the AI-based Discrimination of Planktonic Morphotypes |
| 04/2016 – 08/2020 | Student Assistant, Marine Sensors, University of Oldenburg |
| 10/2014 – 03/2018 | Bachelor Program, Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg Topic of bachelor thesis: Analysis of trends in global, coastal measurements of water transparency and color over the past century considering different biogeographic provinces |
Publications
Paper
Thölen, C., Wollschläger, J., Novak, M. G., Röttgers, R., and Zielinski, O. (2026) Colored and Fluorescent DOM in the Sea-Surface Microlayer: Response to a Phytoplankton Bloom and Photodegradation in a Mesocosm Study, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5350
Bibi, R., Ribas-Ribas, M., Jaeger, L., Lehners, C., Gassen, L., Cortés-Espinoza, E. F., Wollschläger, J., Thölen, C., Waska, H., Zöbelein, J., Brinkhoff, T., Athale, I., Röttgers, R., Novak, M., Engel, A., Barthelmeß, T., Karnatz, J., Reinthaler, T., Spriahailo, D., Friedrichs, G., Schäfer, F. A., and Wurl, O. (2025). Biogeochemical dynamics of the sea-surface microlayer in a multidisciplinary mesocosm study, Biogeosciences, 22, 7563–7589, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-7563-2025
Zielinski, O., Pieck, D., Schulz, J., Thölen, C., Wollschläger, J., Albinus, M., Badewien, TH., Braun, A., Engelen, B., Feenders, C., Fock, S., Lehners, C., Lõhmus, K., Lübben, A., Massmann, G., Meyerjürgens, J., Nicolai, H., Pollmann, T., Schwalfenberg, K., Stone, J., Waska, H. and Winkler, H. (2022). The Spiekeroog Coastal Observatory: A Scientific Infrastructure at the Land-Sea Transition Zone (Southern North Sea). Front. Mar. Sci. 8:754905. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.754905
Conferences
Thölen, C., Wollschläger, J., Novak, M., Röttgers, R., and Zielinski, O. (2025). Effects of a Phytoplankton Bloom and Photobleaching on Colored and Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter in the Sea-Surface Microlayer, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11844, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11844
Thölen, C., Wollschläger, J., Zielinski, O. (2024). Shining light on FDOM dynamics in the sea-surface microlayer: A mesocosm study, Ocean Optics Conference 2024, Las Palmas, Spain, 06 Oct–11 Oct 2024, https://2024.oceanopticsconference.org/abstract-tholen/
Thölen, C., Wollschläger, J., Zielinski, O. (2024). Shining light on CDOM & FDOM dynamics at the sea-surface microlayer: A mesocosm study, ICYMARE Conference 2024, Bremen, Book of Abstracts
Thölen, C. & Zielinski, O. (2022). Umweltzustandsbilder auf der Basis modularer Küstenbeobachtungen: ein Konzept, UIS, Wilhelmshaven, https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-658-39796-8
Roß, L., Schmitz, J., Thölen, C. (2019). Students to the front: Conceptual design and realization of a sampling strategy for plastic particle accumulation at frontal systems in the German Bight, ICYMARE Conference 2019, Bremen, Book of Abstracts
Thesis
Thölen, C (2020) Optimization of image processing operators for the AI-based discrimination of planktonic morphotypes. Masterthesis, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl-von-Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, https://oops.uni-oldenburg.de/id/eprint/4741
Research Cruises
2016 | HE473 | RV Heincke | German Bight, Training cruise |
2017 | Sailing Ship Amazone | Baltic Sea, Training cruise | |
2018 | M148-2 | RV Meteor | Benguela Upwelling Current, Atlantic (EreBUS) |
| HE520 | RV Heincke | German Bight, Project study fronts | |
2019 | AL523-3 | RV Alkor | German Bight, Project study fronts |
| Sailing Ship Franzius | Wadden Sea, Training cruise | ||
| HE545 | RV Heincke | German Bight, Training cruise, Bio-Optic | |
2020 | HE548 | RV Heincke | German Bight, Senckenberg Hydroakustic |
| HE563 | RV Heincke | German Bight, Science Communication | |
| SE202011 | RV Senckenberg | Wadden Sea, Otzumer Balje (Gute Küste) | |
| MSM97-2 | RV Maria S. Merian | North Sea, Norwegian Sea, DAM Underway | |
2021 | SE202103 | RV Senckenberg | Wadden Sea, Otzumer Balje, Harle (Gute Küste) |
| HE573 | RV Heincke | German Bight, Ammunition in the North Sea | |
| SE202106 | RV Senckenberg | Wadden Sea, Otzumer Balje, Harle (Gute Küste) | |
| M179-1 | RV Meteor | Atlantic (Transit) | |
2022 | M179-2 | RV Meteor | Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego (FjordFlux, CoastCarb) |
| SE202206-1 | RV Senckenberg | Wadden Sea, Harle (Gute Küste) | |
| SE202208-1 | RV Senckenberg | Wadden Sea, Harle, Blaue Balje (Gute Küste), Chief Scientist | |
2023 | AL597 | RV Alkor | Balitc Sea, Sea-Surface Microlayer (BASS) |
| HE626-2 | RV Heincke | North Sea, Heligoland, Sea-Surface Microlayer (BASS) | |
2024 | HE644 | RV Heincke | North Sea, Heligoland, Sea-Surface Microlayer (BASS) + MS Fritz-Reuter |
2025 | M211 | RV Meteor | Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, Sea-Surface Microlayer (Fresh Ocean) |