News

At this year's UN Ocean Conference in Nice, AWI scientists Antje Boetius, Nicole Biebow and Alexander Haumann presented the international Antarctic research project “Antarctica Insync” to the scientific community. On board the research vessel Meteor, researchers exchanged ideas on the topic of “Polar Oceans, Climate and Biodiversity: Advancing Synergies and Sustainability of International Science Collaboration!”. In addition to Antarctica Insync, the POLARIN and Tara Polar Drift projects were also presented.

Antje Boetius, former Director of the AWI, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, one of the world's highest scientific honours. This recognition is in acknowledgement of her exceptional contributions to deep-sea and polar research. She is among this year's international selection of over 90 researchers, including experts in fields such as AI, global health and neuroscience. Congratulations!

The U Bremen Research Alliance, of which the AWI is a member, aims to actively contribute to the further development of the AI ecosystem in Germany. In a joint declaration, the participating institutions reaffirm their intention to play an active role in shaping the national AI strategy. Prompted by the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Federal States' resolution adopted on March 12, 2025, the declaration emphasizes the central importance of AI for Germany's innovation and competitiveness, calling for the expansion of high-performance regional…

Language processing in humans depends on the neuronal connection between language areas in the brain. Until now, it was assumed that the anatomical structures supporting language only emerged in humans. Researchers of the Max Planck Society and AWI have now identified a comparable neuronal connection in the brains of chimpanzees. 
Press release of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

On Easter Sunday, April 20, the new National Geographic documentary series “Secrets of the Penguins” will premiere on the Disney + streaming platform. Large parts of the penguin documentary were filmed at our Neumayer Station III in the Antarctic.

The German Arctic Office published a policy brief entitled “Reception of Germany’s new Arctic Policy Guidelines (2024)”, which deals with the perception and implementation of the new German Arctic Guidelines in the Arctic states. Another publication is the fact sheet called “Remote Sensing in the Arctic”. It explains the importance and applications of remote sensing techniques in Arctic research. The aim is to create a better understanding of current developments and challenges in the Arctic and to make scientific findings more accessible for politics…

The Alfred Wegener Institute invites scientists to apply for a guest research stay at the marine stations on Helgoland or Sylt. The stays, which last longer than 15 working days, offer the opportunity to conduct research in the immediate vicinity of the rocky tidal flats. The stations have well-equipped guest laboratories with Internet, seawater connection and basic laboratory equipment. Applications are possible until 31 July 2025. Further information.
 

On the occasion of the “SOS Ocean” summit, which took place in Paris on 30 and 31 March, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in blue to draw attention to the ocean and the associated challenges and decisions: Two months before UNOC-3, the third United Nations Ocean Conference, “SOS Ocean” brought together around 60 leading politicians, scientists and representatives of international organizations, including AWI Director Antje Boetius. They discussed the major environmental threats: Pollution, rising sea levels, overfishing and the decline of marine…

The German ambassador in Sofia, Bulgaria, Irene Maria Plank, visited the AWI on 1 March. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss current projects and scientific cooperation between the AWI and Bulgaria. The ambassador was welcomed by Verónica Willmott, Anneli Strobel and Diego Filun. In addition to a tour of the new aquarium facilities, a guided tour of the research vessel Heincke took place.

On February 14, it's “There is no Planet B” all over Germany again. This is because people across the country are taking to the streets in the climate strike to campaign for more climate protection and a sustainable future. Employees at the AWI sites Neumayer Station III in the Antarctic, AWIPEV in the Arctic and the people on Polarstern are also taking part in the climate strike.