Archive of News and Press Releases

Weekly report

Active volcanoes of the South Sandwich Island Arc

We started the new week on Monday, 29th April, with a long dive to sample smoking chimneys and vent animals in the known hydrothermal field of the segment E2-South. Here we concentrated our efforts on the active vent systems around Dog’s Head, a complex structure consisting of 4 chimneys, which are lined up nicely one after the other, fused on their bases and characterised by single black smoking orifices in 12-15m height.  
Antje Boetius and Melanie Bergmann at the German Norwegian Ocean Forum. (Photo: Lisa Grosfeld)
Online news

Sustainable oceans as a shared responsibility

From the Arctic to the North Sea: this year’s German Norwegian Ocean Forum was held in Bremen’s Übersee Museum. The spotlight topic of the symposium, which was jointly organised by the AWI, Innovation Norway, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, was ‘The sustainable future of our oceans’. AWI Director Antje Boetius moderated the event.
The authors of the fourth chapter "Cross-cutting issues" of GEO-6. (Photo: UN Environment)
Online news

AWI researcher is one of the lead authors of the UN Environment Programme

The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is generally considered to be the flagship of the UN’s Environment Programme. And AWI climate researcher Prof Peter Lemke has been a major contributor to it; he was selected as one of the lead authors for the sixth, recently released environment report (GEO-6 Report). 
Weekly report

The East Scotia Ridge – where new seafloor grows

Despite not neglecting station work and the associated scientific analyses over the Easter days, we were able to celebrate the Easter. At first priority stands a big thanks to the crew of RV Polarstern as they decorated the public areas and canteens to create an Easterly feeling on board.
Short news

From the Arctic to the North Sea

Today the German Norwegian Ocean Forum take place in Bremen. It is jointly organized by the Norwegian Embassy, Innovation Norway and the AWI. AWI director Antje Boetius guides through the program.
Watercolour painting: A healthy Alexandrium (right) and Alexandrium infected by the parasite Amoebophrya (left).
Aquarellbild eines gesunden Dinoflagellaten Alexandrium (links) und eines von Amoebophrya befallenen (rechts).
Press releases

Veritable powerhouses – even without DNA

Whether human beings or animals, plants or algae: the cells of most life forms contain special structures that are responsible for energy production. Referred to as mitochondria, they normally have their own genetic material, in addition to that found in the nucleus. Uwe John and colleagues at the Alfred Wegener Institute have now identified the first-ever exception to this rule in a single-celled parasite. The mitochondria of the dinoflagellate Amoebophrya ceratii appear to produce energy just like our own mitochondria, but without any genetic material,…
Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius Director of Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research. (Photo: Esther Horvath)
Online news

The Leibniz Ring goes to Antje Boetius

"Climate catastrophe, environmental pollution, and 'saving the oceans' are all interrelated issues. They concern, or should concern, everyone on this planet." - with these words, the selection committee explained its choice of recipient for the 2019 LeibnizRingHannover Award: AWI Director Prof Antje Boetius.
Weekly report

South Georgia - Gate to Antarctica

After the departure from Punta Arenas and an 8-hourly passage through the Magellan Strait RV Polarstern started a 4-day transit bound for South Georgia. This time without station work was used by our 51 scientists from Germany, USA, Costa Rica, Austria, UK, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, Taiwan, France, India, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland to further set up laboratories and to intensely exchange talks on the various research aims of this expedition.
Antje Boetius gave a lecture at the forum "10 Years Climate House" Photo: Wätjen / Klimahaus
Short news

Antje Boetius speaks in the Klimahaus

In front of about 120 people, Antje Boetius talked about the influence of global warming on the polar regions in "Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost". She reported on expeditions and the direct consequences of accelerated climate change.
Press releases

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the AWI Technical Centre

On Thursday, 18 April 2019 an official groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new Technical Centre for the development of innovative maritime technologies in Klußmannstraße, Bremerhaven. Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Federal State of Bremen, and the City of Bremerhaven celebrated this milestone together with the Directorate and staff of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.