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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)

2026-07-28 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.

2026-07-22 10:00 AM

A coral’s Swiss Army knife: The numerous powers of cilia

Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie

An international research team led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen and the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) investigated how the shape of black corals influences the functions of their cilia. By combining an unusually comprehensive suite of imaging and microsensor techniques, the researchers were able to visualize both, water flow and oxygen transport, from individual cilia to entire coral fragments. They found that the cilia allow corals to create and direct the flow of water around and within them, thus optimising oxygen supply, feeding and internal transport. The study was recently published in Communications Biology.

2026-07-21 01:01 PM

Around 350 Climate, Computational, and Computer Scientists Attend km-Scale Global Modelling Summit 2026 in Hamburg

Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie

Experts from around the world specializing in high-resolution Earth system modeling are currently meeting in Hamburg for the km-Scale Global Modelling Summit 2026. The conference is led by the BMFTR project WarmWorld and locally organized by the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology.

2026-07-13 10:33 AM

Material harvests drinking water from air – and cools more efficiently than current systems

Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

A research team from the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at Kiel University, Germany is developing porous materials specifically designed to harvest water from the air and enable energy-efficient cooling. The team has now succeeded in producing these materials on a larger scale for the first time, marking an important step towards industrial applications.

2026-07-09 01:04 PM

Baltic Sea Expeditions Started with the Malizia Explorer

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

9 July 2026/Kiel. The first GEOMAR expedition aboard the research sailing vessel Malizia Explorer set sail today. Scientists from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel are conducting research into seagrass beds and microalgae – also known as phytoplankton – over the course of three short expeditions. The Malizia Explorer is a sailing boat that has been converted for research purposes. Operated by professional sailor Boris Herrmann and his Team Malizia, it has been sailing the world’s oceans since April 2025.

2026-07-08 01:19 PM

Climate Oscillations Shape Nature’s Coral Refuges in a Warming Ocean

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

New study reveals that natural cooling of coral reefs is not constant – but depends on major tropical climate patterns.

2026-07-02 12:24 PM

Polarstern sets course for the HAUSGARTEN Arctic long-term observatory

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

In 1999, the Alfred Wegener Institute launched an ambitious project: the HAUSGARTEN observatory in the Fram Strait between northeast Greenland and Svalbard. Spanning ice-covered waters and extending to depths of more than 5,500 metres, this unique research infrastructure has become a key site for monitoring the impact of climate change on polar marine ecosystems. A special issue of the journal Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography now brings together key findings from 25 years of research at HAUSGARTEN, underscoring the urgent need for global climate action.

2026-06-30 11:49 AM

New Study Deciphers Monsoon Drivers at Seasonal Level

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

High-resolution sediment analyses from the Arabian Sea reveal, for the first time, that summer and winter monsoons respond differently to global climate change. Researchers from the University of Bremen contributed to the study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

2026-06-25 12:40 PM

Natural Shields Against Mercury

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Marine sponges may play an important, previously underestimated role in reducing methylmercury contamination in marine food webs. In a new modelling study, researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon have shown that sponges can significantly influence the spread of this environmental toxin through ecosystems. The findings suggest that the animals’ unique feeding behavior helps reduce methylmercury levels and may lower contamination in fish. The study was recently published in the journal Biogeosciences.

2026-06-23 02:08 PM

AWI researcher in Potsdam awarded ERC Advanced Grant

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

Over the next five years, Ulrike Herzschuh will be able to focus more strongly on the extinction of plant species and develop new methods and models for this purpose. The researcher from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam has been awarded a prestigious Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This grant supports groundbreaking and high-risk research that could open up new scientific avenues. Her “plantExtinct” project will receive three million euros in funding.

2026-06-19 11:40 AM

What we know about marine heatwaves in the Arctic

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

In recent years, marine heatwaves have been taking an ever-greater toll on the world’s oceans and their ecosystems. Amplified by increasing global warming, these events are occurring more frequently and lasting longer. The Arctic is not spared from this trend either, as it is warming faster than any other region on our planet. However, due to local processes and conditions, marine heatwaves in the Arctic differ fundamentally from those in non-polar oceans. A recent study, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, summarizes how these events have developed over recent decades and what science knows about the driving forces behind them.

2026-06-16 03:57 PM

10 Years of the Palau Observatory: Why polar researchers are working on a small Pacific island

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

In 2016, the AWI, together with the University of Bremen, the Palau Community College, and the Coral Reef Research Foundation, opened a research station at what is probably its warmest location: Palau. The archipelago lies in the heart of an area that is characterised by the cleanest air in the world. Moreover, this region is where the composition of the stratosphere - the layer of the atmosphere that contains the ozone layer - is determined for the whole planet. This makes the location ideal for studying the distribution of trace gases and particles in the atmosphere and their impact on the global climate, from Europe to the polar regions.

2026-06-16 11:32 AM

One of the Earth’s Most Important Plate Boundaries Is Older than Previously Thought

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

A chain of remote islands and underwater volcanoes between Alaska and Kamchatka has revealed a much older chapter in Earth’s tectonic history than previously known. Along the Aleutian Arc, the Pacific Plate dives beneath the North American Plate, creating one of the most active and important plate boundaries on Earth. An international research team has now shown that this subduction zone began at least 56 million years ago, significantly earlier than previous models had assumed. The finding sheds new light on a major reorganization of plate motions and may also help better understand ancient global climate change. The study has now been published in the journal Nature Communications.

2026-06-12 04:02 PM

Is the sea still healthy?

Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum - Leibniz-Institut für Maritime Geschichte

A researcher from the German Maritime Museum (DSM) / Leibniz Institute for Maritime History in Bremerhaven has published her first article in the United Nations’ World Ocean Assessment Report.

2026-06-11 07:35 AM

Changing Marine Lightscapes: Greifswald Researchers Bring Legal Perspective to an Underestimated Environmental Problem

Universität Greifswald

The amount of light in the sea is changing. Coasts shine brighter, the water is getting murkier. What is barely visible to swimmers has a huge effect on algae, fish and plankton. The international research project ISOLUME (IndicatorS Of changing Lightscapes in Underwater Marine Ecosystems) investigates how light conditions are changing in European seas – and what that means for the ecosystems. The University of Greifswald’s Institute of Energy, Environmental and Maritime Law (IfEUS), directed by Prof. Dr. Sabine Schlacke, is exploring how national, European, and international legislation deals with light pollution.

2026-06-10 08:00 PM

What Was Previously a Once-in-a-Century Storm Surge Now Occurs Every Eight Years

MARUM - Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften an der Universität Bremen

Storm surges and extreme water levels along coastlines occur significantly more frequently today than at the beginning of the 20th century. A new study in the journal Nature Climate Change shows that what was statistically expected to occur only once every 100 years around 1900 now occurs, in global average, about every eight years. This corresponds to an increase by a factor of about twelve. The team of authors includes Prof. Ben Marzeion from the Institute of Geography and MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen.

2026-06-10 05:00 PM

Nature study: More icebergs in the Arctic

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

The number of icebergs in the Arctic has increased sharply since the 2000s. This is due to the destabilisation of large glaciers in north-east Greenland and parts of the Russian Arctic as well as the increasing mobility of sea ice. The result: Stones rain down from the melting icebergs, forming new hard-substrate habitats for marine life on the soft seafloor. This gradually alters the existing communities in the deep sea. At the same time, the increasing presence of icebergs also poses greater risks to shipping and fisheries. These findings were reported by a research team led by the AWI and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the journal Nature.

2026-06-03 02:37 PM

Arctic river deltas at risk from mounting pressures

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

For the first time, AWI researchers have performed a detailed calculation of the amount of carbon stored in permafrost in Arctic river deltas. In a new study in the journal Nature Communications, they point out the risks endangering the storage function of these highly sensitive landscapes due to rapid climate change.

2026-05-28 08:10 PM

IOW research uses AI and drones to improve early warning systems for Vibrio bacteria in the Baltic Sea

Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde

The presence of the marine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, which is potentially dangerous to humans, can now be predicted up to five weeks in advance in the Baltic Sea using artificial intelligence (AI). A research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) reached this conclusion by combining high-resolution environmental, satellite, and microbiome data in an AI-based analysis. The study, recently published in “Water Research,” shows that this approach allows for a much more precise identification of risk periods than was previously possible. Furthermore, the IOW is testing an AI-supported drone measurement program for local Vibrio warning systems.

2026-05-21 07:29 AM

Future Earth launches Global Coordination Hub

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

The international sustainability network Future Earth is establishing a new Global Coordination Hub to better connect its globally distributed secretariat and to take on operational, strategic and communication tasks. The hub will be jointly hosted by the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory (GFL) at Arizona State University (ASU). A dedicated Executive Director, based at GERICS, will lead the hub.

2026-05-18 11:27 AM

Hereon Press Release: Sustainable lightweight construction with magnesium and seashell

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Hereon researchers develop ultra-light, recyclable material

For the first time, researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon have produced a magnesium foam made entirely from natural marine raw materials. No toxic additives are required for its production. Ground oyster shell powder from the food industry serves as the blowing agent. The foam has a wide range of applications in automotive manufacturing and is fully recyclable. The researchers recently presented their innovation in the journal Discover Materials.

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