Archive of News and Press Releases
Coastal Waters Under Pressure
The waters off many of the world’s coasts are under enormous pressure. Climate change is altering entire ecosystems in coastal waters and shelf seas, and added to this are further stress factors like overfertilisation and overfishing. All these negative influences act together and often mutually reinforce each other. The functionality and performance of these habitats that are so vital for humans could suffer as a result, warns a team of researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. To better understand these…
Find out more
Mourning for Jörn Thiede
With great dismay and sadness, we have heard that our former Director, colleague and friend, Prof. Dr Jörn Thiede, has passed away. A few months ago, on his 80th birthday, we celebrated his impressive life and achievements for the German and international geosciences, especially marine and polar research - unfortunately mainly digitally.
Find out more
Virtual research lab for MOSAiC data
Researchers around the globe should have access to the valuable data from the MOSAiC expedition. In order to rapidly make user-friendly access to this information possible, the Alfred Wegener Institute, together with the DKRZ Hamburg and the DLR Jena, will develop a series of analytical tools that will allow initially researchers, and subsequently the general public, to access and work with the Arctic data online. The project has received ca. 2 million euros of funding from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Find out more
Webinar "Fit for climate action?"
On July 14, the EU Commission will present the "Fit for 2030 Package", which is aimed at clearing the way to climate neutrality. During the webinar "Fit for climate action?" AWI Director Antje Boetius will discuss the contents of the reform package and its consequences for economy and society with representatives from politics, economy and climate action. The event will take place online on July 14 at 7:00 pm in german with english subtitles. To the event
RV Heincke expedition ends successfully
FACTS (Fluxes and Fate of Microplastics in Northern European Waters) is a European project funded by JPI Oceans and will create new knowledge and improve our mechanistic understanding of the sources, transport, occurrence, and fate of small microplastics from European waters to the Arctic. The consortium consists of 15 partners in 7 countries, with more than 50 people involved in the research activities.
Find out more
Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit
As part of the premiere of the Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit, AWI Director Antje Boetius will participate in the panel "Promoting Resilient Oceans through Conscious Fashion" on July 07 from 14:50-15:20 and discuss current challenges, opportunities, and areas for improvement at the intersection of ocean protection and fashion production. Further information
Climate change and its consequences on foreign policy
What does climate change have to do with foreign policy? Why is the Arctic so important in terms of foreign policy? These questions were the focus of an exchange between Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Markus Rex, MOSAiC expedition leader and scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).
Find out more
![[Translate to English:] Clacier in Central Tien Shan](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/1/csm_Figure-4-Koindy-glacier-750x500-1_99300ae888.jpg "Glacier in Central Tien Shan")
Glacial melt in the high Mountains of Asia
Glaciers in High Mountain Asia have been melting more quickly in recent years due to rising summer temperatures. Glacier melt prevails now even in areas where glaciers were previously growing, a team of researchers led by the University of St Andrews and with contributions from the Alfred Wegener Institute has concluded.
Find out more
Focus on global plastic pollution
Current rates of plastic emissions globally may trigger effects that we will not be able to reverse, researchers from Germany, Sweden and Norway report in a new study published in the prestigious journal Science on 2 July. According to the authors, plastic pollution is a global threat, and actions to drastically reduce emissions of plastic to the environment are ”the rational policy response”.
Find out more
Start of the Citizen Science Project ‘UndercoverEisAgenten’
The Arctic is changing faster than average due to global warming. While some alarming effects, such as melting glaciers and sea ice, can be observed directly, most of the permafrost’s melting takes place deep below the surface. However, since the permafrost stores huge quantities of carbon, which is released in the form of carbon dioxide and methane when it thaws, there is a danger that continued thawing will further worsen global warming. In order to collect reliable, up-to-date information on permafrost thawing, the joint project UndercoverEisAgenten…
Find out more