From tooth fish to food webs, from molecular genetic tools to underwater acoustics: dive into our current research
Topics
Inside COP 16 (United Nations Biodiversity Conference)
Government representatives, international organizations, scientists, NGOs and many more are meeting in Cali, Colombia, until 1 November to develop strategies to protect biodiversity and negotiate concrete measures. Dr Ute Jacob from the HIFMB Transfer Office has an official observer status and is on site in Cali.
Did you know?
Unicellular plankton covers a size range that is comparable to the size difference between a small fish and a city like Oldenburg.

Krill Faecal Pellets are More Efficiently Exported to Depth Than Salp Pellets
The Southern Ocean is one of the most important oceanic regions for uptake and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This uptake of CO2 is driven by faecal pellets produced by Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and salps (Salpa thompsoni), krill and salp poo, the most important macrozooplankton grazers in the Southern Ocean. Even …
Interdisciplinarity in Action: A Summer at the HIFMB
I was interested in coming to the HIFMB and becoming a part of the MARISCO project, to learn more about oceanic and interdisciplinary research as part of a summer Global Sustainability Scholars scheme. My coursework in environment and biology often mentioned the ocean, but it never went sufficiently into depth or breadth.
Oceans and Plastics Blog Series
Art-science collaborations and the ‘Ocean Decade’ – The United Nations (UN) Ocean Decade (2021-2030) is well under way. One of the primary aims in what the UN is calling a ‘revolution’, is to create an “inspiring and engaging ocean” where society understands and values the benefits of protecting the seas. However, asserting such universalising narratives are complex and never apolitical as there are many layers of communities who are often excluded from society.
Polar Sounds: Remixing the Sounds of the Arctic and Antarctic Seas
Acoustic Data in Marine Research – Out of all the senses, sound is the one that travels the furthest in the oceans. Because of this, acoustic methods are becoming a critical tool that scientists at the HIFMB and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) are using to better understand the Polar seas and the marine biodiversity within.
Sustainable Networks for Marine Sustainability Research
Marine spaces are more threatened than ever by various factors, such as the consequences of climate change, overfishing and geopolitical conflicts. Innovative and co-designed research approaches are essential to understand the threats and their impacts, and to find sustainable solutions. But future co-designed and co-created innovative and successful research will not be possible without sustainable and well-functioning networks.
Spatialising Approaches to Marine Governance
This year has marked an exciting time for the Marine Governance Group at HIFMB, one of the core groups of the institute, feeding one of the key pillars of research: conservation and management. New staff at PhD and Postdoctoral level have arrived and Masters students have begun to undertake original research projects. Together they (we!) have been quickly shaping the group, raising critical questions about governing ocean spaces.