A bigger picture
We research the sea and its function for humans and the environment
The Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) is a research institute located in Oldenburg. It researches marine biodiversity and its importance for the function of marine ecosystems. In doing so, it develops the scientific basis for marine nature conservation and ecosystem management.
Assistant in Science Administration (f/w/d)
We are looking for support at the interface between science and administration at the HIFMB. In close cooperation with the supervisors of the core groups, the site management and the science strategy and management group, you will be responsible for a wide range of tasks.
This is an unlimited full-time position. It is also suitable for part-time employment (not less than 30h).
We look forward to your application!
Please submit your application by November 7th 2024, exclusively online.
Oceans are not only the richest in species but also the largest habitat – due to their depth, oceans make up more than 90 percent of the total habitat on earth.
They regulate the climate, bind CO2 and are an important food source for humans. Every second breath we take contains oxygen from the ocean.
In order for the sea to continue to fulfil these functions, which are also important for humans, intact habitats are needed. And these in turn depend on marine biodiversity, i.e. the diversity of species, genetic variants of each species and ecosystems.
How strongly and in what form this biological diversity reacts to global warming and human-induced influences is still largely unclear today.
Marine ecosystems are changing – also and especially through human influence. According to a recent study, for example, only 13 percent of the oceans can still be described as wilderness.
What do the changes in marine ecosystems mean for us and what measures do we take to counter them?
Our approach is interdisciplinary: At HIFMB, scientific research goes hand in hand with social science expertise in the analysis of social and political processes.
Biodiversity Change
Quantifying & predicting biodiversity change
Ecosystem Functions
Understanding functional consequences of change
Conservation & Management
Maintaining biodiversity & functions and enabling socio-ecological management
From tooth fish to food webs, from molecular genetic tools to underwater acoustics: dive into our current research
A Résumé on the Oldenburg Climate Symposium
The 2nd Oldenburg Climate Symposium was headlined “Climate, People, Ocean” and was meant to be a multidimensional workshop with offerings to scientists, early career professionals, students, policymakers, and the general public. A safe bet for a successful conference is to give excellent researchers the time to develop their ideas in front of the public. We invited eight speakers from near and far to give their personal perspective on the ocean climate connection.
Did you know?
Reef-building corals enhance the light available for their algal symbionts by 3 to 8 times relative to ambient light conditions.
From the Very Small to the Big Picture: A New Era in Microbiology
Microbes were the only life form on Earth for most of the history of our planet. Even today, they still make up the majority of species that are vital to the health of our planet. They produce much of our oxygen, help plants grow, maintain biogeochemical cycles and thus sustain our ecosystems. A. Murat Eren, a researcher at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPIMM) and the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, together with his colleague Jillian Banfield from the University of Berkeley, has now described the astonishing progress that microbiology has made in recent decades in the journal Cell.
Exploring Belonging: A Day on the Island of Spiekeroog
Our one-day retreat on the island Spiekeroog aimed to further strengthen the connections within our Marine Governance group and to explore the notion of “Belonging.” Already the passage to the island with the small speedboat, which rocked with every sigle wave, raised the question, “Do we actually belong here?”—on the water amidst all the ship traffic, right in the middle of the Wadden Sea National Park, surrounded by countless marine organisms that all depend on this rare and threatened habitat?
Mud and the Matter of Seabed Access – Reflections on Sampling in Shallow Seas
For many of us, unless it is part of our everyday work, the seabed is probably a space we think little about. But the seabed, as the recent decision by Norway to undertake mining within its national waters revealed, is a space where accessibility and usage rights are contentious and political. This becomes even more profound when we start to ask about the seabed beyond national jurisdiction where there is a lack of clear ‘ownership’. To whom does the seabed belong?
MEET THE TEAM
Our staff are the heart and driving force of our research.