Modern working conditions for marine biodiversity research – that's what the new building of the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity provides. The facility is an eye-catcher both inside and out.

In April 2021, two tropical cyclones, Seroja and Odette, collided in the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia. In a case study, Oliver Wurl and Jens Meyerjürgens investigated how this rare phenomenon affected the ocean.

Researchers from Oldenburg and Bremen work together on issues important for the future. To further analyse the effects of global warming on marine ecosystems, the have jointly applied in the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments. 

Millions of different organic compounds are dissolved in the world's oceans. These substances bind large amounts of carbon – sometimes for thousands of years. Does this affect the carbon cycle on Earth – and our climate? A multimedia story. 

Only 359 genes and the amino acid arginine as its sole energy source: The metabolism of the bacterial family Oceanoplasmataceae, newly discovered in the Gulf of Mexico, is a mystery to the German-American research team that identified it. 

Computer scientist A. Murat Eren, who goes by Meren, is convinced that microbiology can contribute to solving many global challenges. In this interview, he talks about the astonishing progress the discipline has made in recent decades.

"Climate, people and the sea" is the title of the Oldenburg Climate Days 2024, which will culminate in an evening lecture by Ottmar Edenhofer, an expert on the economics of climate change.

Climate change also affects the oceans. But how can the marine life affected by it be protected beyond the scope of national jurisdiction? A new consortium of researchers including scientists from Oldenburg is investigating this.

The oceans are home to much of the planet's biodiversity. They have a major influence on our climate and provide food for billions of people. To mark World Oceans Day, researchers from Oldenburg and Bremen report on why their research is important.

Thousand-year-old sediments from the Atlantic Ocean show how biodiversity in the oceans could develop with climate change. A team from Bremen and Oldenburg is conducting joint research - also to better assess how to protect marine life in the future.

Two species of marine bacteria from the North Sea have established an unusual and sometimes destructive relationship to produce the important vitamin B₁₂. This is reported by researchers from Oldenburg and San Diego in the journal Nature.

In the animal kingdom, too, there are different personalities, each with their own lifestyle: even simple marine worms live their daily lives to their own individual rhythms, a new study suggests.

Coral farming based on sexual propagation, leading to a more sustainable coral trade and helping to protect coral reefs – this is the goal of SciReef, a new start-up which is emerging from a research transfer project.

A group of bacteria lives in close association with other organisms throughout the world's oceans. Microbiologist Meinhard Simon and his team at the recently completed Collaborative Research Centre Roseobacter have spent 13 years investigating what makes these microbes so successful.

Glaciers, penguins and whales: Antarctica has a special appeal - also for PhD student Lina Holthusen, who is currently conducting research there. About the challenges of working in remote places, the team spirit needed and the best Christmas present.

How does unusual heat affect the flora and fauna of the Wadden Sea? Researchers from the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment and the Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences have recently investigated this in a large-scale experiment.

Tiny plastic particles can be found in the marine atmosphere even far from coasts, according to a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications. Some of the microplastics come from an unexpected source.

Less plastic waste in the North Sea and better cooperation in spatial planning: two new EU projects at the university are addressing these topics.

For those who like the idea of combining scuba diving with science, the Scientific Diving course at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment is an ideal option. Upon successful completion, participants are certified to dive on scientific missions.

Researchers in the "Macroplastics" project studied the dispersal pathways of plastic waste in the southern North Sea for four years. 63,000 wooden plates played an important role – as did citizen scientists.