News

[14. February 2024]  The Arctic is changing rapidly due to climate change. It is not only affected by increasing surface temperatures, but also by warm water from the Atlantic, which is flowing in more and more – changing the structures and functions of the ecosystem. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute have now been able to prove for the first time that during the polar night, some amphipods on Svalbard feed on jellyfish that flow to the Arctic alongside warm Atlantic water.

[08. February 2024]  The new research project YESSS - Year-round EcoSystem Study on Svalbard - is focussing on how Arctic warming is changing over the seasons in Svalbard. The team of around 30 scientists observes the life cycles, foraging and overwintering strategies of selected key species all year round and conducts experiments at the AWIPEV station on Svalbard. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project, which is coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, with 2.7 million euros until the end of 2026.

[01. February 2024]  She has been travelling in the Arctic and Antarctic in the service of research for over 40 years, but there are still areas that are new territory even for the Polarstern: Between two expeditions to East Antarctica, the Alfred Wegener Institute's research icebreaker reached Hobart in Tasmania on 30 January 2024 and will remain there until 6 February. The German Embassy in Australia, together with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the AWI, is inviting representatives from politics, science and society to a celebratory reception on board to mark the first attempt.

[18. January 2024]  Climate change will likely affect the spread of pathogens in the ocean: as water temperatures rise, bacteria that are harmful to humans could also appear en masse, posing a biological hazard. The new joint project PrimePrevention, coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, has set itself the goal of developing new tools to help make society more aware of these hazards and prevent or mitigate their adverse effects.

[29. November 2023]  Yesterday evening, the research vessel Polarstern set off from Cape Town for a special region: Two expeditions in East Antarctica will focus on the history of the instability of the ice sheet there and its interactions with ocean circulation. On the first leg, which will last around two months and be led by GEOMAR, the main focus will be on oceanographic, geoscientific and biological work; the second leg will be led by Kiel University and will have a geoscientific focus, with researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute involved in both expeditions. The change of personnel and ship supply will take place in Hobart at the beginning of February. On the occasion of the Polarstern’s first call in an Australian harbour, an exchange with representatives from science and…