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Open House at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space
An AWI researcher represented the AWI at the Open House hosted by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). She had the opportunity to speak with visitors and Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär about polar research. In a conversation with astronauts Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer, it became clear what space exploration and polar research have in common: working in extreme, remote locations.
Setting Sail for the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt with the New REV Ocean Research Vessel
In 2027, the Norwegian initiative REV Oceans will send its new vessel on its first expedition: in April, the floating research platform will set sail from Rio de Janeiro alongside the UN Ocean Decade Conference. For one year, the REV Ocean will run through the South Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Sargasso Sea and the Eastern Tropical Pacific into late 2028. On board are 10 projects led by international researchers who will explore, amongst other things, the seamount ecosystems, biodiversity on coral reefs, the migration routes of sharks and whales, and…
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AWI exhibition at FONA forum 2026
On 24 and 25 June, the AWI exhibited a small selection of items at the FONA Forum 2026 in Berlin. The exhibits give an insight into the AWI’s research, particularly in the polar regions. Among others, the Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär visited the exhibition. FONA stands for ‘Research for Sustainability’ and refers to the new sustainability-focused strategy of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, which was presented and discussed at the forum.
The environment shapes security
Global environmental changes, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing ecosystem pollution, pose significant security risks. These changes endanger people, social stability, economic performance, and the ability of states to act. The German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) emphasizes this point in its latest assessment. These changes must be prioritized in national and international security strategies. AWI scientist Hans-Otto Pörtner contributed to the report. See the WBGU press release.
Talk with Canada's Arctic Ambassador
During a discussion titled "Arctic Security and Cooperation in a Time of Geopolitical Change," political and academic representatives in Berlin discussed scientific cooperation in the Arctic. The Aspen Institute Germany and the Canadian Embassy organized the event. The AWI was represented by Bernhard Diekmann, Volker Rachold, and Bennet Juhls. During their discussions with Virginia Mearns, Canada’s Arctic Ambassador, the focus was on joint projects, including the 2027 Arctic Pulse expeditions, as well as maintaining the continuity of bilateral Arctic…
AWI researcher in Potsdam awarded ERC Advanced Grant
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.
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200 Years of Georg von Neumayer
Pioneer of German Polar Research: 21 June marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of the German polar explorer Georg von Neumayer. A pioneer of international polar research, Neumayer played a key role in organising the first German Antarctic expedition (1901–1903). As co-organiser of the First International Polar Year (1882–83), he promoted international scientific cooperation in the polar regions. His legacy lives on today in the form of the AWI Antarctic station named after him — Neumayer Station III.
Christoph Ploß and Uwe Schmidt visit the AWI
Christoph Ploß, the German Federal Government’s Coordinator for the Maritime Economy and Tourism, and Uwe Schmidt, Member of the Bundestag, visited the AWI in Bremerhaven. After meeting AWI Director Hajo Eicken and Administrative Director Karsten Wurr, they toured the research icebreaker Polarstern at the Lloyd shipyard. Also present on behalf of the AWI were Uwe Nixdorf, Deputy Director and Head of the Logistics and Research Platforms Department, and Detlef Wilde, Project Manager for POLARSTERN II. The discussions focused on the importance of maritime…
Using AI to close a data gap in the Arctic
The sea ice in the Arctic has several key functions in the Earth's climate system: it reflects large parts of the solar radiation, thus slowing down global warming and it drives global ocean and air currents, which has a direct impact on the weather outside our window. How the sea ice retreats or expands depends largely on the energy balance of the Arctic Ocean surface. However, there is a lack of data from direct observations, meaning that studies have to rely on modelling with reanalysis data from the past in order to make predictions for the future.…
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What we know about marine heatwaves in the Arctic
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 &…
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