Gateways of the Southern Ocean

Deepwater CDW) can be observed south of the ridge. North of the ridge a westsetting flow is prevailent. Sediment drifts have been formed parallel to and north of the Agulhas Ridge, which indicate the influence [...] (DP), the Scotia Sea, and the Falkland Plateau. The arrows schematically show the present pathways of Upper Circumpolar Deepwater (UCDW), Lower Circumpolar Deepwater (LCDW), Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW) [...] IOR= Islas Orcadas Rise, MEB= Maurice Ewing Bank, NGP= North Georgia Passage, SRP= Shag Rock Passage. The opening of Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea enabled the exchange of water masses between the southern

Climate modelling

global sea-level rise of up to seven metres. Moreover, the tremendous amounts of meltwater produced could influence ocean currents, sparking massive changes in the climate, especially in the North Atlantic [...] accurately simulates the past, it can also project the future, paving the way for forecasts on e.g. future sea-level rise or global warming. In this way, these models provide the scientific basis for formulating [...] floodwalls and levees are costly. That’s why it’s important to be able to estimate today how much the sea level will rise, or how much the intensity of hurricanes will increase, tomorrow. Climate modeling

MeerWissen Project ORIENTATE

coasts of our seas have always been a natural and constant companion for the inhabitants. However, due to the climate crisis, they can increase dramatically and get out of hand. With rising sea levels and [...] an increase in extreme storms, severe erosion is taking place on many coasts - not only in the North Sea, but also in the Mediterranean. The island of Djerba, a popular vacation destination in Tunisia [...] activities. The Project objectives At the AWI with the Biological Institute Helgoland and the Wadden Sea Station Sylt as well as the University of Sfax in Tunisia, researchers are working on slowing down

Guest Research and Education

exhibition is being created from the history of the North Sea to the future of marine research Find out more Guest Research and Courses at the Wadden Sea Station Sylt We offer offer excellent working conditions

North Atlantic Deepwater and its precursors

The deep branch of the North Atlantic THC mainly consists of deep-water formed by atmospheric cooling in the Nordic Seas, which overflows the Greenland-Scotland Ridge into the North Atlantic. The Eirik Drift [...] to the poles. The major formation regions of deep and bottom water are the Nordic Seas, the Weddell and the Ross Seas. The Eirik Drift south of Greenland and the Argentine continental margin (red circles) [...] closely downstream of the North Atlantic deep-water formation region and has been shaped by the Western Boundary Undercurrent (WBUC), which constitutes the main part of the deep North Atlantic THC. The sedimentary

100 years of Wadden Sea Station Sylt

The Wadden Sea forms a transitional habitat between land and sea. The shallow depth and constant exchange with the adjacent North Sea create a very special geological space. The Wadden Sea Ecosystem Our [...] Happy Birthday, AWI Wadden Sea Station! When the Wadden Sea Station in List on Sylt was founded 100 years ago, its original mission was to investigate the living conditions of the European flat oyster [...] and how climate change will impact our ecosystem. The Wadden Sea Over the Course of Time With the ‘Sylt Roads’ time series, the Wadden Sea Station in List makes an important contribution to the long-term

Stable Isotopes in Marine Geology

MAT252 Sercon-2020 δ 30 Si δ 18 O (diatoms, radiolarians, sponge ferrules) Reconstruction of polar sea surface salinity changes and meltwater events (δ 18 O) Efficiency of the biological pump (δ 30 Si) [...] measurement of stable carbon isotopes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in waters from the polar seas is routinely carried out in our laboratories. This parameter is being determined via a GasBench Plus [...] supply of nutrient silicon and its use in polar and subpolar ocean regions (e.g. Southern Ocean, North Pacific) can be reconstructed on geological time scales. For the measurements, pure diatom-, radiolarian-

Training Capacity Exchange

in Oceanography for 10 years at the AWI. Now the programme has moved to Canada. Located in the North Sea, the NF-POGO Centre of Excellence at AWI had been conducted on the offshore island of Helgoland

Pioneering research reveals Arctic matter pathways poised for major shifts amidst climate change

Transpolar Drift carries sea ice, fresh water, and suspended matter from the Siberian shelves across the central Arctic towards the Fram Strait channel, which connects to the Nordic Seas. This cross-Arctic flow [...] including microplastics and heavy metals – from Siberian river systems into the central Arctic and the North Atlantic. This material affects Arctic biogeochemistry and ecosystems, while the fresh water itself

Scientific articles

Sell, SEA Pineda-Metz, M Wegner, S Brand, LNS Shama, J Wollschläger, TH Badewien, S Laakmann, & KH Wiltshire. Connectivity and larval drift across Marine Protected Areas in the German Bight, North Sea, Part [...] Connectivity and larval drift across marine protected areas in the German bight, North Sea: Necessity of stepping stones. Journal of Sea Research, 204 , 102563. doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2025.102563 . 2024 [...] oyster ( Ostrea edulis ) in the German North Sea (RESTORE preliminary investigation). BfN-Schriften 684. BfN, Germany. doi.org/10.19217/skr684 . 2023. SEA Pineda‐Metz, B Colsoul, M Niewöhner, T