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We know little about the fish stocks in the central Arctic Ocean, and what we know about the local ecosystem is insufficient to ensure sustainable management. In response, in June 2021 the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean – which includes a moratorium on fishing in the region – entered into force. The European Union and nine other countries signed the Agreement. From 23 to 25 November 2022, the first conference of the parties will take place in Seoul (South Korea). Dr Hauke Flores from the Alfred Wegener…

Every year, the cross-shelf transport of carbon-rich particles from the Barents and Kara Seas could bind up to 3.6 million metric tons of CO2 in the Arctic deep sea for millennia. In this region alone, a previously unknown transport route uses the biological carbon pump and ocean currents to absorb atmospheric CO2 on the scale of Iceland’s total annual emissions, as researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and partner institutes report in the current issue of the journal Nature Geoscience.

AWI geophysicist Gabriele Uenzelmann-Neben receives the ECORD Award 2022 as well as with Ulla Röhl from the MARUM for her outstanding contribution and longstanding commitment to scientific ocean drilling and the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).

For the third time in four years, students of the HIGHSEA program were awarded with the Dr. Hans Riegel Award. The award ceremony took place on November 2, 2022, at the University of Bremen. The students received prize money of a total of 1000 euros as well as a lot of praise and great recognition for their outstanding work.

Honored again: "A Year in the Ice: The Arctic Drift," the documentary on the MOSAiC expedition has won the British Grierson Award in the category "Best Science Documentary." The jury's decision read, "We were genuinely blown away by the ambition, expertise and logistical undertaking of this epic production."

In 2022, global fossil CO2 emissions will reach 36.6 billion metric tons of CO2, which is slightly above the pre-pandemic level. Together with emissions from land use, amounting to 3.9 billion metric tons, total emissions will reach 40.6 billion tons, which is slightly below the highest level, from 2019 (40.9 billion tons). These are the outcomes of a report just released by the Global Carbon Project, which the Alfred Wegener Institute helped to prepare.

To what extent does polymetallic nodule mining impact the ecosystem in the deep sea? This is what the MiningImpact expedition SO295 with the research vessel SONNE is investigating for the next two months in the exploration contract areas of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the North Pacific. During the collection of polymetallic nodules, the bio-active layer of the seabed is removed and the sediments suspended during the mining operation blanket also large areas in the vicinity. The aim of the current research cruise is to determine the extent of the…

The Bündnis 90/Die Grünen will hold a panel discussion at the Haus der Wissenschaft on November 11, starting at 7 p.m. on the question of what role science plays in Bremen's and Bremerhaven's urban society: can science make cities more attractive through good networking? What does science need to contribute to a Bremen with a strong future? AWI Director Antje Boetius will participate in the panel discussion, along with other members of Bremen's scientific and urban community. Entry is free of charge

Greenland's glaciers are losing ice at an accelerating rate, causing sea levels to rise dramatically. However, climate models have so far significantly underestimated how much ice could actually be lost by the end of the century. This is suggested by a new study in the scientific journal Nature, in which the Alfred Wegener Institute was also involved. As a result, the contribution of Greenland's glaciers to future sea level rise is significantly higher than previously assumed.

AWI Director Antje Boetius will receive the Carl-Friedrich-von-Weizsäcker-Prize 2022 for her many years of work as a marine researcher and microbiologist. She is delivering pioneering work with her research in the areas of deep sea and polar research, said Gerald Haug, president of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The award ceremony will take place on Monday, December 12, in Halle (Saale) as part of the Leopoldina's traditional Christmas Lecture. Press release