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The avian influenza type H5N1 has been spreading in Germany since the end of October. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute are now turning their attention to the Antarctic: on an expedition to the newly established protected area "Danger Islands", they want to find out whether the highly contagious virus is also spreading among Antarctic seabirds and whether penguins, which breed in huge colonies, are already at risk. The research team is supported by Tierpark Berlin, which contributed its experience in dealing with penguins.

Five AWI researchers have once again been recognised as Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate in 2025: Hans Otto Pörtner, Guido Grosse, Sebastian Primpke, Gunnar Gerdts and Murat Eren. Their work is among the most cited publications worldwide, making a significant contribution to the advancement of their respective fields.

Antje Boetius has received an exceptional honour for her outstanding contributions to marine research and her commitment to protecting the oceans: She was elected into the Order Pour le mérite. The order is an association of artists and scholars with 73 members currently, including 17 Nobel Prize winners. Marine biologist Boetius was director of the AWI until spring of 2025. The formal entry ceremony into the order will take place on 31 May in Berlin. Mehr information.

Global fossil CO2 emissions will further increase in 2025. Some 38.1 billion metric tons of CO2 will be emitted, which represents a new record and surpasses 2024 emissions by 1.1%. This is the conclusion of the latest report by the Global Carbon Project (GCP), an association of international scientists. Researchers from LMU Munich and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) / University of Bremen were leading contributors to the study.

Climate change and the associated rising temperatures are melting more and more frozen ground in the Arctic. This dissolved matter contains large amounts of organic carbon which is flowing into the central Arctic ocean. In a new study, scientists led by Alfred-Wegener-Institute quantified how much terrestrial organic matter accumulates in the central Arctic Ocean. Using chemical fingerprints, they were able to assess how fast it degrades, thus releasing additional CO2 to the ocean. These findings are an important basis to project how inputs from land…

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) will honour AWI glaciologist Olaf Eisen with the Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal in 2026. A total of 52 people will be honoured for their important contributions to the Earth, planetary and space sciences. They will be celebrated during the EGU General Assembly 2026, which will take place from 3 to 8 May 2026. To the announcement

On board the Polarstern research vessel, an international group of young scientists will immerse in the fascinating world of marine research. They are not only learning the basic methods of oceanography, but also the difficult art of communicating science in a comprehensible and inspiring manner. For the fifth time now, the Alfred Wegener Institute is organising this extraordinary training programme with a host of partners. This year once again under the direction of Professor Karen Wiltshire (now at Trinity College in Dublin), the participants benefit…

In a few days, the nine-member wintering team at Neumayer Station III will begin their journey to Antarctica, where they will start work at one of the world's most remote workplaces. Richard Pozgaj, Annika Pia Salveter, Matthias Hahn, Martin Maier, Isabella Hrabe de Angelis, Lasse Urban (back row, from left to right) and Gina Valerie Schulz, Lea Buse and Ingo Gerstmann (front row, from left to right) will work and live at the station for about a year.

The target set ten years ago in the Paris Climate Agreement was already very ambitious at that time and has become increasingly implausible over the years due to inadequate societal-political development and rapid warming. However, the 1.5°C limit has not yet actually been exceeded. So, is it too early for an obituary?

The ice sheet in Greenland faces many changes and one of them is hiding in plain sight - the snowy layer covering most of its surface. Normally acting as a sponge for refreezing meltwater, this layer is important for the overall fate of the ice sheet, but it’s changing in ways researchers currently do not fully understand. Now, a substantial grant from the European Research Council (ERC) enables an international consortium to investigate this problem.