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![[Translate to English:] Ein schmelzender Eisberg treibt im Kongsfjord, Spitzbergen.](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/2/csm_20150807_AWIPEV_007_RBuergi-2_b050caba1e.jpg "[Translate to English:] Ein schmelzender Eisberg treibt im Kongsfjord, Spitzbergen.")
Polar oceans could help mitigate climate change – but science and policy are not yet ready to recognise them
A new review maps how carbon-rich Arctic and Antarctic habitats can be better protected and integrated into international climate policy.
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Where the methane in the Wadden Sea comes from
Is the Wadden Sea a source of greenhouse gases, and what role do mudflats, sediments, groundwater and inflows from land play in this? A consortium of six research institutions is investigating these questions in Meldorf Bay. Using two research vessels, and a measuring pontoon, the teams are recording the exchange of gases between land, water and the atmosphere. There is a particular focus on methane, as previous measurements have shown elevated concentrations of the gas in the mudflats.
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![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/4/c/csm_group_pic_03_6523d48364.jpg "[Translate to English:]")
Arctic Pulse: Exploring the pulse of the Arctic together
In early September, researchers from Germany, Canada and Switzerland met in Inuvik, Canada, with representatives of the Inuvialuit communities to discuss research needs and opportunities for collaboration on the BeauPAIR project in the Beaufort Sea.
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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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![[Translate to English:] Expedition Mt. Ararat](/fileadmin/_processed_/4/2/csm_20260711_2_Basislager_ExpeditionMtArarat_CoenHofstede_ExpeditionMtArarat_CoenHofstede_318a9476e6.jpg "Expedition Mt. Ararat")
Expedition to Mount Ararat surveys the glacier ice for the first time
Facing wind and cold, with only half as much oxygen as at low altitude, a German-Turkish research team surveyed the glacier of Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey for the first time in July, at over 5,000 metres altitude. For two weeks, the scientists worked on the ice, which until then had been a blank spot for research.
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Taiga Forests Protect Permafrost Soils
The boreal forest, also known as the taiga, is the northernmost and largest forest region on Earth, stretching from Alaska across Canada and Scandinavia to Siberia. Where these forests grow on continuous permafrost, they serve an important climate function: their canopies shade the surface and reduce thaw depth, helping preserve the vast carbon reserves contained in the frozen permafrost. A recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, in which the Alfred Wegener Institute was involved, has now, for the first time, quantified the amount of…
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![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/a/c/csm_20260626_AWI_Cryo-LA-ICP-TOFMS_Setup_PascalBohleber_002_009b466d4c.jpeg "[Translate to English:]")
New Technology for Large Samples in Chemical Analysis with LA-ICP-MS
Laser ablation is a widely used state-of-the-art technology for micro-destructive material sampling, especially if used in conjunction with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for chemical material analysis. The European Research Council (ERC) is now funding a project to further develop this method at the Alfred Wegener Institute for the next 1.5 years, with 150,000 euros.
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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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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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Antje Boetius receives the Pour le Mérite and the Grand Cross of Merit with Star
Prof. Dr Antje Boetius, former Director of the AWI and a deep-sea and polar researcher, has been honoured with two of Germany’s most prestigious distinctions: the Order of Pour le Mérite for Science and Arts and the Grand Cross of Merit with Star. The awards recognise her outstanding achievements in polar and marine research.
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