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Sonorous Antarctica
“Sonorous of Antarctica” is a science and art project developed by the AWI and the Chilean Centro IDEAL as part of the EU CoastCarb project. It consists of three components: a multilingual picture book about an ocean acoustic journey to Antarctica; art exhibitions in Chile and Germany; and an interactive website. AWI scientists Kerstin Jerosch, Friederike Weith and Diego Filún opened the exhibition with presentations and experiments on polar research, in which the students could participate. The exhibition will now be on display for several weeks at the…
AWI Director visits GEOMAR
AWI Director Hajo Eicken visited the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel. Director Katja Matthes welcomed Hajo Eicken during his first visit since taking office in March 2026. Both centers share a mission to better understand the ocean as a central component of the Earth system. AWI and GEOMAR collaborate on various initiatives, including the Helmholtz research program 'Changing Earth - Sustaining Our Future'.
Two million nautical miles in the service of research
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.
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Third Place at the NordWest Awards
In collaboration with M2C – Institute for Applied Media Research GmbH, AWI researcher Björn Suckow won third place at the NordWest Awards for the Northwest Metropolitan Region with his project, 'Future Now! Northwest Metropolitan Region”. The project focused on the creative and practical dissemination of knowledge and skills relating to climate change, biodiversity, environmental change and sustainable urban development.
Atlantic waters and anthropogenic underwater noise in the world’s largest fjord system
A research team from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) is now researching on board of the science and outreach sailing yacht Malizia Explorer how incoming Atlantic Water spreads through the Kangertittivaq fjord systems on the east coast of Greenland and how noises from ships affects underwater life in the fjord.
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AWI Director at the SCAR Delegates' Meeting
At the SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) Delegates’ Meeting in Oslo, Hajo Eicken, Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), represented Germany as the SCAR Delegate, alongside Petra Quillfeldt, Alternate Delegate and Chair of the German National Committee for Polar Research. The meeting focused on the growing importance of scientific expertise regarding Antarctica in light of rapid environmental change, and on Antarctica’s role in the Earth system. Key topics also included the SCAR Horizon Scan and initiatives such as Antarctica…
AWI at the IJCAI World Congress on Artificial Intelligence in Bremen
Artificial Intelligence Meets Polar Research: The IJCAI, one of the world’s largest and most important international AI conferences, is currently taking place in Bremen. The AWI is also represented with a booth there. Visitors can learn about the AWI’s research and see firsthand how artificial intelligence helps analyze scientific data and gain new insights.
Cyclone clusters in the Arctic reduce sea ice and threaten coastlines
In the Arctic, the weather plays a key role in determining how much ice covers the ocean. One weather phenomenon that has a significant influence on this is Arctic cyclones: they cause unusually warm and stormy conditions, which typically lead to a significant loss of ice. These conditions last for a particularly long time when several cyclones rapidly follow one another. An international research team led by the Alfred Wegener Institute has now, for the first time, systematically investigated the effects of these accumulating cyclones, using weather…
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![[Translate to English:] Polarstern-Winterexperiment](/fileadmin/_processed_/a/b/csm_20130617_AWECS_ANT29_6_089_MarioHoppmann_27cf655b2a.jpg "Waves")
A new observing system for the Southern Ocean
The EU project SYNCHRONY will launch on August 1st, 2026. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of the rapid changes taking place in the complex system comprising the ocean, ice and atmosphere in the Southern Ocean and around the Antarctic ice shelves, as well as their impacts on the global climate and biodiversity. Led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, researchers from a total of 27 global partner institutions from around the world will work in interdisciplinary work packages to optimise and expand the existing observing system, harmonise data…
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The Arctic Ocean keeps permafrost carbon firmly locked
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 have now been able to answer this…
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