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The latest news and articles from marine research on the largest habitat on earth and its far-reaching significance for humanity.

Focus

Dense green mangroves with clearly visible roots in the water — Picture: Paul Selvaggio, SECORE International

> Restoration

Restoration of marine ecosystems

Successful projects demonstrate that damaged marine ecosystems can recover if the right conditions are met. This can greatly benefit both humans and nature.

Meere Online

Focus

A leafy sea dragon, which looks like a yellow seahorse with fanned wings, swims above green sea grass stalks in South Australia. — Picture: Jayne Jenkins, Ocean Image Bank

> Ocean Conservation

Protected areas for coasts and oceans

Marine protected areas are an important instrument for strengthening biodiversity, ecological functions and services - provided that protective measures are implemented effectively.

Meere Online

Focus

Several wind turbines at the ocean, the wind farm Rampion — Picture: Nicholas Doherty, Unsplash

> Marine Energy

Offshore Windfarms

The expansion of offshore wind turbines is being driven forward in many countries. What impact does the large-scale expansion of wind power in the North Sea and Baltic Sea have on the marine environment?

Meere Online

Focus

> Mineral Resources

Impacts of deep-sea mining

Mineral resources such as nickel, manganese, cobalt, copper, zinc and rare earth metals are stored on the deep sea floor. However, the potential consequences of deep-sea mining for marine life are barely understood.

Meere Online

Focus

A manta ray swims in the sea, surrounded by plastic waste such as bags and bottles. — Picture: Vincent Kneefel, Ocean Image Bank

> Plastic Litter

Plastic Litter in the Oceans

No matter where people look in the world’s oceans: Plastic is already there. Plastic waste in the marine environment is a global problem of immense scale that urgently needs to be solved. At UN level, there is movement towards a global plastics agreement.

Meere Online

Focus

Satellite image of the Arctic taken on 22 March 2025 — Picture: NASA

> Ocean Governance

Planetary boundaries

Anyone interested in marine and environmental issues will inevitably come across the buzzword “planetary boundaries”. But what does it actually mean?

Meere Online

Focus

American razor clam shells lie on the beach on the west coast of Sylt. — Picture: DAM

> Ecosystem Change

Non-native species

Introduced and immigrant animals, plants and microorganisms have been changing life in the ocean for centuries. Such resettlement can increase or decrease local biodiversity. There are examples of both developments.

Meere Online

Focus

Mussels and green algae lie on a sandy seabed. — Picture: Dirk Schories

> North Sea and Baltic Sea

Environmental status North Sea and Baltic Sea

Every six years, experts assess the environmental state of Germany’s marine areas. The comprehensive 2024 report reveals that the German North Sea and Baltic Sea are in poor condition.

Meere Online

Focus

A cod swims across the Baltic Sea floor — Picture: Dirk Schories

> Nutrients

Oxygen depletion in the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is running out of oxygen. This is primarily due to fertilisers entering the Baltic Sea via rivers. There, these additional nutrients trigger a fatal chain reaction.

Meere Online

Focus

A shoal of herrings moves through the ocean. — Pichture: Dirk Schories

> Biodiversity

Genetic Diversity

A loss of genetic diversity weakens the resilience and adaptability of organisms. If they are properly planned and implemented, renaturation and other measures can help.

Meere Online

Focus

> Ammunition

Munition in the Seas – Current Knowledge and Perspectives

Munitions in the seas and oceans threaten the marine environment and risk their sustainable use and management. For several years, research has been conducted to evaluate the scale of the impacts and to develop solutions for their future remediation.

DAM

Insight

The research icebreaker Polarstern travels between ice floes of the Arctic sea ice on a smooth sea. — Picture: Sabine Arndt, Alfred-Wegener-Institute

> Marine and Climate Research

German marine research

Researchers from a wide range of disciplines work together to unravel the complexities of marine systems. They are focusing on the questions: How do the oceans fundamentally influence our climate? And how can we make use of the seas while protecting them

Meere Online

Insight

The illuminated Polarstern in the darkness of the Arctic ice during the MOSAiC expedition. — Picture: Esther Horvath, Alfred-Wegener-Institute

> Research Vessels

Research vessels

Research vessels are as diverse as marine science itself. Each has its own strengths and areas of operation. Scientifically, they are capable of everything: biology as much as geology, meteorology or geophysics. Yet there are not many such ships.

Meere Online

Multimedia

> For Pupils

Interactive World Ocean

This touchscreen-based ocean map invites users to discover the diversity of coasts, seas, and oceans and to immerse themselves in different global regions. Designed for schools, educational institutions, and exhibitions.

Meere Online

Press Releases from Marine Research by Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (idw)

idw (Informationsdienst Wissenschaft)

2026-09-10 03:02 PM

Disappearing Lakes: New Data Platform on Permafrost Lakes in the Arctic

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

The ‘Lost Lakes’ database provides access to information on water area to identify changes in Arctic permafrost landscapes and help local communities respond to these shifts.

2026-09-08 11:40 AM

Construction Waste for Climate Protection in the Ocean?

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

New mesocosm experiment on Gran Canaria using ground concrete demolition waste

8 September 2026 / Kiel / Taliarte. A seven-week experiment led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is starting today on Gran Canaria. In collaboration with international partner institutions, twelve mesocosms are being deployed in the sea. These will be used to investigate whether ground concrete rubble can be used to increase the alkalinity of seawater and what effects this has on marine life. Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) is a promising method for increasing the ocean’s CO2 uptake whilst simultaneously buffering acidification.

2026-09-08 09:23 AM

Heatwaves change carbon uptake in the ocean

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Hereon study: Due to the decline of sea ice and enhanced primary production, polar and subpolar coastal seas can absorb more CO₂ during marine heatwaves than expected

2026-09-07 09:00 PM

How Climate Change may amplify Earthquake Impacts in the Arctic

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

7 September 2026 / Kiel. An earthquake near the Arctic island of Jan Mayen triggered a massive rock avalanche in March 2025. The resulting debris buried part of the Kjerulf Glacier beneath rock and rubble. A new study indicates that climate change likely played a crucial role in this event. Long-term warming and permafrost degradation weakened the rock, making it more susceptible to earthquake shaking. These findings highlight how natural hazards in polar regions are changing – with potential implications for glacier and permafrost areas worldwide. The study is published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal.

2026-09-07 11:50 AM

Evidence of ancient wildfires near the South Pole

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

Ninety million years ago, Earth’s climate was so warm that dinosaurs roamed swampy rainforests even in what is now icy Antarctica. A research team has now found – in a sediment core - evidence of recurring wildfires in Cretaceous Antarctica near the South Pole. The fires apparently promoted the spread of early peatlands in the wet swamp forests. This ancient co-evolution of fire and peatland formation provides valuable insight into the development and preservation of raised bogs, which are now acutely threatened by climate change and increasing drought. The findings have now been published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

2026-09-02 03:00 PM

Blind Spots at Antarctic Coasts Limit Sea Level Projections

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

A new, international scientific review warns that major gaps in knowledge along Antarctica’s coasts – where the ice sheet and the Southern Ocean interact – are now one of the biggest obstacles to reliably projecting future global sea level rise

2026-08-31 03:43 PM

Two million nautical miles in the service of research

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

On 26 August 2026, the Polarstern achieved an impressive milestone: the German research icebreaker has covered a full two million nautical miles since it entered service on 9 December 1982. Of course, the ship’s crew of around 40 people is always on board, ensuring reliable operations at all times. Up to 55 researchers, working in international teams, investigate processes ranging from the seabed through the water column and all the way through to sea ice and up to the atmosphere.

2026-08-31 03:39 PM

m-CONNECT: EU-funded project takes a connectivity-focused approach to coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

Twenty interdisciplinary partners from 12 countries in Europe, Island Southeast Asia and Melanesia will begin work on a four-year landmark project in September 2026. Funded by Horizon Europe with a budget of six million Euros, the project “Management of Coastal Networks Nurtured through Ecosystem Assessment, Collaboration and Technology”, or m-CONNECT, will focus on coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows as interconnected coastal ecosystems that are vital for biodiversity, climate resilience and human wellbeing. The project is coordinated by the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, Germany.

2026-08-26 11:18 AM

The Fingerprint of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reaches the Deep North Atlantic

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

In a new study, researchers from Bremen map how the Suess effect spreads in the North Atlantic

The use of fossil fuels alters both the concentration and the carbon isotope composition of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Since surface water exchanges carbon dioxide with the atmosphere, this also alters the isotopic composition of the carbon dissolved in the ocean. In a study, a team from MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen has now determined how deep this so-called Suess effect has already penetrated into the North Atlantic.

2026-08-21 05:16 PM

Breakthrough for Future-Proof Cement Production

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Cement production is responsible for around eight percent of global CO₂ emissions. The Holcim Deutschland GmbH aims to drive the decarbonization of the industrial sector and has installed a membrane-based pilot plant at its cement works in Höver. The innovative technology was developed at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and brought to market by Cool Planet Technologies Limited (CPT). It is designed to capture up to 90 percent of the CO₂ emissions from the plant’s exhaust gas. The project represents a major step toward a future-proof industrial sector in Germany.

2026-08-20 01:54 PM

Offshore wind farms could alter precipitation patterns

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Offshore wind farms are a key pillar of the energy transition. The European Union plans to massively expand offshore wind capacity in the North Sea by 2050. A new study by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon indicates that a very extensive expansion could influence regional precipitation patterns: while precipitation over the sea could increase, it could decrease in coastal regions. The research provides comprehensive insights into the potential regional climate impacts of future offshore wind farms, which, the researchers emphasize, must always be planned in harmony with the environment. The study was published in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment.

2026-08-20 10:06 AM

Marine heatwaves: Rising ocean temperatures reduce the natural carbon storage capacity of seagrass meadows

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment with contributions by researchers from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) shows that higher seawater temperatures could significantly reduce the long-term ability of underwater plants to store carbon. Scientists from Spain and Germany investigated how higher water temperatures affect the dissolved organic carbon released by seagrasses and marine algae. The results show that as temperatures rise, the proportion of dissolved organic carbon that persists in the ocean over long periods and therefore contributes to long-term carbon storage declines significantly.

2026-08-19 12:51 PM

New Insights into the Dynamics of the Atlantic Circulation

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

High-resolution sediment samples off the coast of Brazil reveal surprising fluctuations in the Atlantic circulation at the end of the last ice age

2026-08-17 10:55 AM

New Study Provides Empirical Evidence of Human Influence on Regional Climate Change

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

Climate change is affecting the entire planet—and yet different regions are warming at different rates. Where is human-induced warming already clearly detectable? And where do natural fluctuations still predominate? A new study has derived the human ‘fingerprint’ directly from observations, which helps to better understand regional changes.

2026-08-13 11:00 AM

Nature’s original bioplastic is food for animals

Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie

A study by the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology provides unexpected insights into how biodegradable PHA plastics are broken down in nature. It shows that animals such as marine worms and earthworms possess enzymes capable of breaking down the natural bioplastic PHA. This provides new insights into the carbon cycle and the biological utilisation of microbial bioplastics.

2026-08-12 10:21 AM

Cyclone clusters in the Arctic reduce sea ice and threaten coastlines

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

Rapid series of low-pressure systems can cause weather conditions under which the ice can only hardly recover. This affects Arctic coastlines and the global climate system.

2026-08-10 05:33 PM

How Climate Fluctuations Influence Volcanism at Mid-Ocean Ridges

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

10 August 2026/Kiel. On Friday, an international research team led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel set sail for the north-eastern Pacific on board the research vessel SONNE. The aim is to investigate the link between climate fluctuations and volcanism along mid-ocean ridges. To this end, the researchers are analysing sediments and volcanic glass from the seabed dating back up to 1.5 million years. The study area is located on the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge (Cleft segment) off the coast of the USA. The five-week expedition is divided into two legs, led by GEOMAR scientists Dr Christian Timm and Prof. Dr Heidrun Kopp.

2026-08-07 02:58 PM

Reading ecosystems like a book: AI method reveals hidden patterns in microbial communities in the river Warnow

Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde

Microbial communities are highly sensitive to environmental changes, yet their enormous diversity makes it difficult to identify ecological patterns. A research team from the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) has now shown that an AI method originally developed for text analysis can be successfully applied to the analysis of complex environmental samples. The method identified five seasonally successive microbial sub-communities in the Warnow estuary while preserving ecological and functional information just as well as conventional methods – in some cases they even performed better. The study has now been published in the journal “Environmental Microbiome”.

2026-07-31 11:24 AM

A new observing system for the Southern Ocean

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

The EU is funding the SYNCHRONY project, involving 27 international partners, to carry out coordinated observations, to harmonise data, and to improve our understanding and ability to predict climate and ecosystem changes around Antarctica

2026-07-31 11:00 AM

Arctic Ocean keeps permafrost carbon firmly locked

Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

Permafrost in the Arctic stores large quantities of organic carbon. When the frozen ground thaws or coastal sections erode, this carbon can enter the sea, where microorganisms can break it down and convert it into climate-damaging greenhouse gases. The extent to which this carbon actually enters the atmosphere, however, and how much remains in the ocean has hardly been quantified to date. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and MARUM – Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen were now able to answer this question for the first time for the permafrost coast of Qikiqtaruk (Herschel Island) in Canada. The findings are published in Nature Geoscience.

2026-07-28 08:54 AM

From Outcast to Option: Carbon Capture and Storage Makes a Comeback

Forschungsinstitut für Nachhaltigkeit Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is regaining prominence in climate policy debates in Germany. A study published in Environmental Politics examines the reasons behind this comeback and shows that the strict limits originally envisaged for CCS were progressively relaxed throughout the political process. This increases the risk that the lifespan of fossil fuel infrastructure will be prolonged, potentially side-lining other climate protection measures.

2026-07-27 09:29 AM

Hereon takes on a leadership role in the ocean program DITTO

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, as one of four institutions, is now taking on a leading role in the new governance and coordination structure of the Digital Twins of the Ocean (DITTO) program as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The other three institutions are the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Xiamen University in China, and Mercator Ocean International from France. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has officially approved the new governance structure and extended DITTO’s period of recognition through 2030.

2026-07-23 03:54 PM

Hereon Press Release: How is Antarctica affected by human activity?

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Hereon coordinates research on environmental pollution in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica

The international research program Antarctica InSync, initiated and coordinated by the Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, has published a Science Plan for comprehensive research on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon is coordinating the Scientific Theme “Anthropogenic Impacts in Antarctica.” This research will examine the occurrence of various human-caused pollutants, as well as the impacts of tourism, underwater noise, and invasive species. The expeditions will begin in late 2027.

2026-07-23 01:59 PM

Artificial Intelligence Looks into the Ocean

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

23 July 2026/Kiel. Researchers at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Kiel University demonstrate how artificial intelligence and data from the global Argo float programme can be used to determine key characteristics of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation – a current that significantly influences the climate in Europe. The study, published in the journal Ocean Science, presents a new approach to observing this complex system. It could help to monitor the ocean more efficiently and reliably in future – using existing observation networks.

2026-07-23 09:04 AM

New €6 million Horizon Europe project to build climate resilience in coastal communities across the Atlantic

Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT)

A new research and innovation project has launched under the European Union's Horizon Europe programme to help coastal communities on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean adapt to climate change and strengthen their resilience. The BEACONSplus (Building Resilience in Atlantic Communities through Innovation and Science) project has received € 6 million in funding over a period of 3.5 years. It responds to a growing gap between current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the rate of action required to meet the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement.

The federal government and the governments of the five northern German states support the current development and sponsor the DAM