Biological Oceanography

The Biological Oceanography research unit investigates how marine plankton respond to environmental changes in the ocean and what effects this has on ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. Our objectives include understanding the sensitivity of biological processes at the organismal level, assessing the evolutionary potential for adaptation, analysing the impact of organismal responses on feeding relationships and explaining the consequences of ecological change for biogeochemical cycles. We investigate microbial processes of dissolved and particulate organic matter using methods such as analysis of organic materials, microbial rate measurements, incubation experiments, controlled laboratory cultures and field studies in various marine environments, from polar to tropical.

Project Overview


  • Biogeochemische Prozesse und Ozean/Atmosph盲re-Austauschprozesse in marinen Oberl盲chenfilmen
    DFG (German Science Foundation)
    Funding Period: 2022 - 2026



    Concepts for Reducing the Effects of Anthropogenic pressures and uses on marine Ecosystems and on Biodiversity
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education) via the DAM (German Marine Research Alliance) Research Mission sustainMare - Protection & Sustainable Use of Marine Areas
    Funding period: 2021 - 2024



    Concepts for Reducing the Effects of Anthropogenic pressures and uses on marine Ecosystems and on Biodiversity
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education) via the DAM (German Marine Research Alliance) Research Mission sustainMare - Protection & Sustainable Use of Marine Areas
    Funding period: 2024 - 2027



    Paving the way from in situ plankton image data to a Digital Twin Ocean



    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)F via the BMBF Research Initiative for the Conservation of Biodiversity
    Funding period: 2021 - 2024



    Innovative Community Engagement for Building Effective Resilience and arctic ocean pollution-control Governance in the context of climate change 
    EU (HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-3)
    Funding Period: 2024 - 2026


    Imaging Marine life in an Ocean of Change (IOChange)
    DFG (German Research Foundation) Heisenberg Program


    INDICOM
    Composition, production and turnover of organic matter in the bathypelagic Indian Ocean
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2024 - 2026



    Innovative 鈥榩ressure-state鈥 indicators for biodiversity changes based on a globally unique marine plankton data set and using the latest AI-supported statistical methods
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2024 - 2027


    INSYST
    Ein Innovatives, intelligentes System zum K眉stengew盲ssermonitoring mit Hilfe K眉nstlicher Intelligenz
    Land Schleswig-Holstein via the KI Land initiative
    Funding period: 2023 - 2026



    Land-Based Solutions for Plastics in the Sea
    EU (program HORIZON 2020)
    Funding period: 2021 - 2025



    Maintenance Ontology and audit log Integration for Herbie
    Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (Project Cohort 2023)
    Funding Period: 2024 - 2026



    Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
    Additional Ventures
    Funding period: 2023 - 2027



    Ocean-based carbon dioxide removal strategies
    HGF (Helmholtz Association)
    Funding period: 2021 - 2024



    Impacts of Climate Stressors on the Biological Carbon Pump (WP3)



    Technological platform for micro- and nanoplastics tracking
    interreg 6a (joint project Denmark/Germany)
    Funding Period: 2023 - 2026


    SEA-THROUGH
    Novel in situ imaging technology to explore the 鈥渓adder of vertical migrations鈥 to the deep sea
    European Research Council Consolidator Grant
    Funding period: 2024 - 2028



    Deep-learning empowered super-resolution plankton imaging



    Road testing ocean artificial upwelling
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2021 - 2024


    TRAMAE
    Impacts of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
    EU
    Funding period: 2024 - 2027


    Tropical Atlantic Deoxygenation: gateway dynamics, feedback mechanisms and ecosystem impacts 


  • Aquatic mesocosms across ecosystems and climate zones
    EU
    Funding period: 2017 - 2020



    Aquatic mesocosms across ecosystems and climate zones
    EU
    Funding period: 2020 - 2024


    AQUASHIFT
    The impact of climate variability on aquatic ecosystems
    DFG (German Research Foundation)
    Funding period: 2006 - 2011


    ASLAEL
    Future change in upwelling systems
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2015 - 2017



    Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2009 - 2017


    CalMarO
    Calcification in Marine Organisms
    EU
    Funding period: 2008 - 2012




    Coastal Upwelling System in a Changing Ocean
    Particle size distribution, export fluxes and zooplankton-particle interactions (WP5)
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2018 - 2022



    European Project on Ocean Acidification
    EU
    Funding period: 2008 - 2012



    Transport and Fate of microplastic in Northern European Seas
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2020 - 2023



    Future Marine Ecosystem Responses and Sensitivities
    EU
    Funding period: 2020 - 2024



    Social-Ecological Tipping Points of the Northern Humboldt Current Upwelling System
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2019 - 2023


    I/ITAPINA


    MESOAQUA
    Mesocosm Facilities in Aquatic Ecosystems
    EU
    Funding period: 2009 - 2012


    MicroArc
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education), WTZ Great Britain
    Funding Period: 2018 - 2021


    MicroZooImager
    An integrated optical system for microzooplankton analysis



    Ocean Artificial Upwelling
    European Research Council Advanced Grant
    Funding period: 2017 - 2021



    Ocean-based negative emission technologies
    EU
    Funding period: 2020 - 2024


    REEBUS
    Role of Eddies in the Carbon Pump of Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems - Demonstration Case Canary Current System (WP4)
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2019 - 2021



    Carbon Dioxide Removal by Alkalinity Enhancement: Potential, Benefits and Risks
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2021 - 2024



    Climate Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropics
    DFG (German Research Foundation)
    Funding period: 2008 - 2020


    SOPRAN
    Surface Ocean Processes in the Anthropocene
    BMBF (German Ministry of Science and Education)
    Funding period: 2007 - 2015



    ZoOMin at TENATSO


    Zooplankton and Nekton: Gatekeepers of the Biological Pump


    Zooplankton and Nekton: Gatekeepers of the Biological Pump - Volume 2

Research areas