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Floating laboratories

Research vessels are as diverse as marine research itself. They all have different strengths and areas of application. Technically, they can do everything: biology as well as geology, meteorology or geophysics. However, there are not many such ships, so time on board is highly sought after.

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

The most famous German research vessel is probably the icebreaker Polarstern. Its participation in the spectacular MOSAiC research mission, during which it was steered into the Arctic sea ice and froze in place, drifting with the ice across the North Pole for a whole winter, made it famous worldwide. However, it is not the only large German research vessel. There is also the SONNE, the METEOR, the MARIA S. MERIAN, ALKOR, HEINCKE and ELISABETH MANN BORGESE.

What German research vessels are capable of

The POLARSTERN with sea ice in the background.
The German research icebreaker POLARSTERN is drifting for research work on hydrothermal vents in the Arctic. (Picture: Stefanie Arndt, Alfred-Wegener-Institute)

The equipment on board research vessels varies depending on their size and intended areas of operation. In addition to its icebreaking technology, the POLARSTERN has nine specialised laboratories, mobile laboratory containers that can be configured as required, aquariums, and three cold rooms that can cool samples to temperatures ranging from −32 °C to +5 °C. The ship also has 52,620 metres of wire rope, which can be used with winches and cranes to lower large research equipment, such as underwater robots (ROVs), into the water and the depths of the sea. The ship also has a powerful onboard computer for monitoring, data recording and transmission. There is room for up to 55 scientists and 44 crew members on board.

The research vessel SONNE in the middle of the ocean.
The research vessel SONNE at the ocean. (Picture: Heike Dugge, Leitstelle Deutsche Forschungsschiffe)

On the other hand, the SONNE mainly operates in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. It has 17 laboratories, including four dry laboratories, two wet laboratories and two climate laboratories. This makes it well-suited to the needs of various disciplines, such as marine geology, geophysics, biology, biogeochemistry and climate research. It enables up to 40 scientists to carry out interdisciplinary work at sea. The ship also has numerous winches and cranes to ensure that large equipment, such as the deep-sea robot ROV KIEL 6000, can be lowered into the water and lifted out again without any problems.

The Alkor photographed from above at an angle.
Drone shot of the research vessel ALKOR. (Picture: Sarah Uphoff, GEOMAR)

The ALKOR, on the other hand, is a significantly smaller medium-sized research vessel. It primarily operates in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Kattegat and the Skagerrak. It can accommodate up to twelve scientists and has four laboratories where air, water and sediment samples can be examined, among other things. The ALKOR can remain at sea for up to 21 days, but also undertakes day trips. It is available for expeditions with German and European research groups, as well as for teaching and internship trips for students.

In addition to the large and medium-sized research vessels, there are also a number of smaller vessels that are often equipped for more specialised coastal research, such as the COROLIS from Hereon or the CLUPEA from the Thünen Institute.

The COROLIS at sea.
The research vessel COROLIS belonging to the Helmholtz Centre HEREON. (Picture: Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon)

With a draught of just 1.6 metres, the COROLIS can also navigate shallow coastal waters. Up to twelve researchers can study topics such as carbon cycles, the transport of nutrients and pollutants between rivers and coasts in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the environmental impact of offshore wind power. All environmentally relevant research data collected during the voyage can be accessed in real time and shared directly with other ships and land stations. The COROLIS succeeded the LUDWIG PRANDTL in spring 2025.

The Clupea at sea.
The Clupea fisheries research vessel. (Picture: Beate Büttner, Thünen Institute)

On the other hand, CLUPEA specialises in fisheries research. With a shallow draught of 2.3 metres, it is well suited to operating in coastal waters. It operates mainly in the south-western Baltic Sea, but occasionally in the North Sea too. It is equipped with two laboratories and various nets, including floating and bottom trawls, gillnets, and plankton nets, and can accommodate four scientists.

Renewal of the research fleet

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is gradually renewing the German research fleet by constructing new large and medium-sized vessels. The research vessel SONNE was the first of three new ships to be commissioned in 2014.  

MORE ON THE NEW Sonne

The METEOR IV, the successor to the METEOR, is currently under construction and will also replace the POSEIDON, which has already been decommissioned. It is planned that the METEOR IV will be handed over to the scientific community in 2026.

MORE ON THE METEOR IV

Construction of the new research icebreaker POLARSTERN has also begun. It is expected to be handed over in 2030.

MORE ON THE NEW Polarstern

In recent years, other research vessels have also been or will be replaced by new builds. Since the beginning of 2025, the COROLIS, operated by the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), has replaced the LUDWIG PRANDTL. The Thünen Institute's fisheries research institutes are expected to receive a replacement for the research vessel WALTHER HERWIG in 2027. The Senckenberg Society is also developing a concept for a new coastal research vessel, the SENCKENBERG. 

Bird's-eye view of the rear of the RV SONNE.
All equipment and containers have a fixed place on a research vessel. Like here on the SONNE. (Picture: MARUM, Universität Bremen)

Expedition logistics and planning

Planning a scientific expedition aboard a research vessel is like piecing together a vast and intricate puzzle. Months - sometimes even years - before departure, scientists, shipping companies and logistics teams begin their preparations. Once at sea, there is no resupply: everything, from highly sensitive measuring instruments to simple screws, must be brought on board and stowed safely for the voyage. Added to this are research devices, sample containers, laboratory equipment and computer systems, many of which have to be specially adapted in advance to withstand the harsh conditions of the open ocean.

Everything must then arrive at the port on time and be loaded onto the ship - but not too much, as space and weight capacity are limited. Route planning is equally crucial. It depends not only on the scientific questions being investigated, but also on permits from other countries, seasonal weather patterns and the vessel’s availability. The crew, too, plays a vital part: alongside the captain and navigators, engineers, cooks and technicians are indispensable.

Yet the logistics do not end once the ship sets sail. During the voyage, all onboard systems must run smoothly: power supply, sample refrigeration, data storage. A single failure can wipe out weeks of work. Coordination with shore stations is also essential — harbour stops are often scheduled to store samples or take new researchers on board. Every expedition is a balancing act between scientific ambition and logistical reality.

The coordination of the ships

The schedules for large and medium-sized research vessels are organised in several steps by different institutions. An overview of the institutions involved and their tasks.

  • German Research Vessels Portal: Responsible for allocating ship time on large and medium-sized vessels. Scientists can submit voyage proposals through this portal. Current schedules for research vessels can also be viewed on the website. Go to the German Research Vessels Portal
  • Research Vessels Expert Panel (GPF): Responsible for awarding ship time on the large and medium-sized research vessels. The panel reviews scientific voyage proposals according to uniform criteria. It is appointed by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Research. Proposals that receive a positive review are recommended by the GPF for inclusion in the voyage schedule.
  • Ship operators: Once voyage proposals have been approved, the detailed deployment planning is carried out by the ship operators. A list of the individual ships and their operators can be found at the end of this text. See the overview “The German Research Vessels.”  Go to the overwiew “The German Research Vessels”.
  • German Research Fleet Coordination Centre (LDF):  The LDF operates the Sonne, Meteor and Maria S. Merian on behalf of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Research. Go to the German Research Fleet Coordination Centre

For regional and local research vessels, ship time is allocated entirely by the respective operators. The GPF is not involved in this process. An overview of the vessels and their operators can be found at the end of this text. Go to the overview “The German Research Vessels”.

Life and research on board

A scientist sorts small organisms up to 150 micrometres in size that were caught in nets between 200 metres below the surface and the surface.
Working in the laboratory on the POLARSTERN. (Picture: Lianna Nixon, Alfred-Wegener Institute)

For most marine researchers, participating in an expedition on a research vessel is a rare and exciting opportunity. Places on board are clearly limited, and voyages can last several weeks. Due to the limited space on board, only a certain amount of research equipment can be taken along. This means that 'ship time' (the term used for a research stay on board) is scarce, and the planning process can take up to two years from initial application to departure on large research vessels.

Life on board involves a combination of scientific work in shifts and assisting other researchers or the crew with daily tasks. The day is characterised by cramped conditions and routines, so it is both exciting and exhausting. Sampling, measurements, and the deployment of equipment ranging from plankton nets to underwater robots (ROVs) are carried out continuously, largely regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. There is hardly any free time, but many researchers speak positively about the unique sense of community when everyone is literally in the same boat. They also talk about magical moments when an ROV resurfaces from the deep sea with precious samples on board.

High waves splash water onto the METEOR as several people attempt to recover a piece of research equipment.
On board the METEOR: recovering equipment in heavy seas. (Picture: MARUM, Universität Bremen)

As is customary in maritime operations, research vessels also maintain a captain’s logbook in which data such as weather conditions, the ship’s position and speed are recorded. In addition, the scientific chief scientists compile a cruise report documenting the research conducted on board as well as the data and samples collected.

It is also common for participating researchers and/or the expedition leaders to write weekly reports, recording the progress of the voyage, notable events and initial observations. These are primarily intended for external communication, for example on websites or in press releases. Some expeditions even have their own blogs, where various people on board share insights into life and work at sea. The different reports from each expedition are published directly on the websites of the respective vessels.

History of German research vessels

In the 19th century, the first voyages to explore the oceans set sail. The year 1872 is considered the beginning of regular, institutionalised marine research. The British vessel CHALLENGER undertook a global expedition equipped with laboratories and scientific staff, yielding fundamental insights into the oceans and the seabed. With a two-year research voyage by the S.M.S. GAZELLE in 1874, the German Empire also entered the field of oceanographic exploration. A major breakthrough in ship-based science came in 1912 with the invention of the echo sounder, which for the first time made it possible to measure the ocean floor acoustically.

Of great historical significance was the German Atlantic Expedition of 1925 to 1927. The METEOR I mapped the Atlantic between Europe and Antarctica using echo sounding and water sampling. This voyage marked the beginning of systematic investigations of entire ocean regions and symbolised the shift from descriptive to physical oceanography.

After 1945, both German states built up their own research fleets — in the Federal Republic with ships such as METEOR II, WALTER HERWIG and PLANET II, and in the GDR with vessels like ERNST HAECKEL and EISBÄR. Growing demand for raw materials and scientists’ curiosity about the oceans drove this expansion. Following reunification, the fleet was streamlined and reorganised. Today, Germany possesses one of the most capable research fleets in the world.

More ON THE HISTORY ON THE BSH WEBSITE

MILESTONES IN MARINE RESEARCH

Overview of German research vessels

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: Kiel

Operator/user: GEOMAR

Website about the ship: ALKOR

Maximum number of scientists on board: 15 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: Hamburg

Operator/user: BSH

Website for the ship: ATAIR

Maximum number of scientists on board: 2 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: Rostock

Operator/user: BSH

Website for the ship: CAPELLA

Maximum number of scientists on board: 4 persons

Area of operation: Baltic Sea

Home port: Rostock

Operator/user: Thünen Institute

Website about the ship: CLUPEA

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: still to be determined

Operator/user: Helmholtz Centre Hereon

Website about the ship: COROLIS

Maximum number of scientists on board: 7 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: Rostock

Operator/user: BSH

Website for the ship: DENEB

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: Baltic Sea

Home port: Warnemünde

Operator/user: Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde

Website about the ship: ELISABETH MANN BORGESE

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and North Atlantic

Home port: Heligoland

Operator/user: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)

Website about the ship: HEINCKE

Maximum number of scientists on board: 15 persons

Area of operation: North Sea

Home port: Hamburg

Operator/user: BSH

Website for the ship: KOMET

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: Baltic Sea

Home port: Rostock

Operator/user: University of Rostock

Website about the ship: LIMANDA

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: Baltic Sea, North Sea and Elbe-Weser estuary

Home port: Kiel

Operator/user: GEOMAR

Website about the ship: LITTORINA

Maximum number of scientists on board: 22 persons

Area of operation: Subpolar Arctic Ocean (ice edge), North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea

Home port: Rostock

Operator/user: German Research Vessels Control Centre

Website for the ship: MARIA S. MERIAN

Maximum number of scientists on board: 28 persons

Area of operation: Atlantic Ocean, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Western Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: Hamburg

Operator/user: German Research Vessels Coordination Centre

Website for the ship: METEOR III

Maximum number of scientists on board: 35 persons

Area of operation: Atlantic Ocean

Home port: Kiel

Operator/user: GEOMAR

Website about the ship: METEOR IV 

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: North Sea

Home port: Sylt (List)

Operator/user: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)

Website about the ship: MYA II

Maximum number of scientists on board: 55 persons

Area of operation: Arctic and Antarctic Oceans

Home port: Bremerhaven

Operator/user: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)

Website about the ship: POLARSTERN

Maximum number of scientists on board: 5 persons

Area of operation: North Sea, Wadden Sea

Home port: Wilhelmshaven

Operator/user: Senckenberg Society

Website about the ship: SENCKENBERG

Maximum number of scientists on board: 7 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: Cuxhaven

Operator/user: Thünen Institute

Website about the ship: SOLEA

Maximum number of scientists on board: 40 persons

Area of operation: Indus, Pacific Ocean

Home port: Wilhelmshaven

Operator/user: German Research Vessels Coordination Centre, University of Hamburg

Website for the ship: SONNE

Maximum number of scientists on board: 25 persons

Area of operation: North Sea

Home port: Heligoland

Operator/user: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)

Website about the ship: UTHÖRN

Maximum number of scientists on board: 12 persons

Area of operation: Baltic Sea, North Sea, North Atlantic

Home port: Bremerhaven

Operator/user: Thünen Institute

Website for the ship: WALTHER HERWIG III

Maximum number of scientists on board: 7 persons

Area of operation: North Sea and Baltic Sea

Home port: Hamburg

Operator/user: BSH

Website for the ship: WEGA

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