An international research team led by the University of Rostock is investigating the impact of climate change on biodiversity in Antarctica.
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/6/csm_20110324_Benthos_EasternWeddellSea_05_TomasLundalv_5642a8b64e.jpg "Marine benthos in the Eastern Weddell Sea")
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/8/8/csm_20110401_Benthos_EasternWeddellSea_07_TomasLundalv_f799876be8.jpg "MArine benthos in Eastern Weddell Sea")
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/7/4/csm_20110401_Benthos_EasternWeddellSea_09_TomasLundalv_ae128fd8a4.jpg "Marine Benthos Eastern Weddell Sea")
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/1/csm_20110401_Benthos_EasternWeddellSea_10_TomasLundalv_02fd466573.jpg "Marine Benthos in eastern Weddell Sea")
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/8/csm_20110401_Benthos_EasternWeddellSea_14_TomasLundalv_e3c10d4cad.jpg "Benthos in Eastern Weddell Sea")
![[Translate to English:] Polarstern-Winterexperiment](/fileadmin/_processed_/f/5/csm_20130805_AWECS_ANT29_6_773_MarioHoppmann_f4a480799c.jpg "Emperor penguins on the sea ice of the Weddell Sea")
The aim of the expedition is to lay the foundation for long-term observations of biodiversity in a possible future marine protected area. The research voyage will take place from December 15, 2025, to February 2, 2026, and marks the fieldwork phase of the EU joint project “Weddell Sea Observatory of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Change” (WOBEC), which is supported by eleven partner institutions and national funders from Europe and the USA under the umbrella of the European Partnership for Biodiversity Biodiversa+. The expedition will also supply the German Antarctic station Neumayer III, which is maintained by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI).
Setting off for one of the last largely untouched ecosystems on Earth
Under the scientific direction of Dr. Heike Link from the University of Rostock, the 46-member team will carry out research along the Prime Meridian and in the eastern Weddell Sea over the coming weeks. On board the research vessel operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the researchers plan to conduct investigations around the seamount Maud Rise where unique current conditions result in a highly productive and biodiverse community, and continue earlier work on the species-rich communities on the shelf region off Kapp Norvegia, west of the German Antarctic station Neumayer III. Both modern autonomous observation systems and classic oceanographic measurement methods will be used. “We want to understand how this unique ecosystem is developing and what effects the decline in Antarctic sea ice is having on the communities,” says expedition leader and marine ecologist at the University of Rostock, Heike Link. “The expedition is a crucial test for our joint observation concept, which we are setting up for the coming years.”
International joint project for Antarctic biodiversity
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/user_upload/AWI/Ueber_uns/Service/Presse/2025/4_Quartal/OM_Start_WOBEC/20110401_Benthos_EasternWeddellSea_10_TomasLundalv.jpg "Marine Benthos in eastern Weddell Sea")
The EU project WOBEC is coordinated by the AWI and investigates how biodiversity and ecosystem functions are changing in this ice-rich region. The Weddell Sea is a biodiversity hotspot: it is home to sponge and coral gardens, as well as huge swarms of krill. The area is also a habitat for bottom-dwelling fish, whales, and ice-dependent organisms, including Weddell seals and emperor penguins. “The Weddell Sea is one of the last largely untouched marine areas on our planet. It serves as a refuge for many cold-loving species in times of man-made climate change,” explains Dr. Hauke Flores, marine biologist at the AWI and coordinator of WOBEC. “With WOBEC, we are laying the foundation for early detection of changes and the development of effective protection strategies for a potential marine protected area.”
Data for tomorrow – knowledge for protecting the Southern Ocean
During the expedition, scientists will collect new biological, chemical, and physical data and also make historical data sets available to the general public. This is based on close cooperation with international partners and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). With the Polarstern setting sail today, WOBEC's fieldwork begins – an important step towards a better understanding of one of the most sensitive and valuable ecosystems on Earth.
This news item was first published by the University of Rostock.