From tooth fish to food webs, from molecular genetic tools to underwater acoustics: dive into our current research
Topics
Photosymbioses: A Coincidence of Evolution?
The new working group “Photosymbiosis” investigates the coexistence of host animals and algae – the European Research Council provides funding of 1,489,000 euros
Did you know?
Reef-building corals enhance the light available for their algal symbionts by 3 to 8 times relative to ambient light conditions.

Unpacking Plastic Oceans – Placing Photography in Environmental Storytelling
This blog post is part of the ‘Plastic or Planet?’ blog series where we discuss the National Geographic exhibition ‘Planet or Plastic?’ hosted in Oldenburg during the summer of 2022. We are part of an interdisciplinary group of early career researchers working at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB). Here, we focus on …
Activity Book on Deep Sea Mining
Deep-sea mining is a potential new industry in which non-renewable resources could be extracted from the bottom of the deep sea. However, as little is known about the ecosystems of these depths and the impacts of this industry, the prospect of mining these resources poses a great risk.
“The ship has reached the shore!”
With these exhausted but happy words, Rena Lee, President of the UN Negotiations on a Protection of Biodiversity in International Waters, announced that the member states had reached an agreement on March 7, 2023, after more than years.
Polar Sounds: Remixing the Sounds of the Arctic and Antarctic Seas
Polar Sounds is an art-science collaboration in which sound artists from around the world were able to use 50 sound clips from the Arctic and Antarctic seas to create their own compositions. Nearly 300 artists from 45 countries applied for the opportunity to reinterpret these sounds.
Traces of Diversity
Every litre of seawater is full of genetic material from all kinds of different organisms. Biologist Silke Laakmann and her team are pioneering techniques that use these DNA traces to determine the biodiversity of marine communities.
Science Communication – Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Research and Policy Implementation
My summer spent at the Helmholtz Institute of Functional and Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) has broadened my horizons and strengthened my research skills. The HIFMB allowed me to explore new areas of research and further develop my interests in advancing how we communicate complex scientific topics to the public.