News

Four AWI researchers have once again been recognised as Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate in 2025: Hans Otto Pörtner, Guido Grosse, Sebastian Primpke and Gunnar Gerdts. Their work is among the most cited publications worldwide, making a significant contribution to the advancement of their respective fields.

Antje Boetius has received an exceptional honour for her outstanding contributions to marine research and her commitment to protecting the oceans: She was elected into the Order Pour le mérite. The order is an association of artists and scholars with 73 members currently, including 17 Nobel Prize winners. Marine biologist Boetius was director of the AWI until spring of 2025. The formal entry ceremony into the order will take place on 31 May in Berlin. Mehr information.

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) will honour AWI glaciologist Olaf Eisen with the Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal in 2026. A total of 52 people will be honoured for their important contributions to the Earth, planetary and space sciences. They will be celebrated during the EGU General Assembly 2026, which will take place from 3 to 8 May 2026. To the announcement

In a few days, the nine-member wintering team at Neumayer Station III will begin their journey to Antarctica, where they will start work at one of the world's most remote workplaces. Richard Pozgaj, Annika Pia Salveter, Matthias Hahn, Martin Maier, Isabella Hrabe de Angelis, Lasse Urban (back row, from left to right) and Gina Valerie Schulz, Lea Buse and Ingo Gerstmann (front row, from left to right) will work and live at the station for about a year.

A new review led by the MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen – and with the participation of the Alfred Wegener Institute highlights how hydrothermal vents on the seafloor shape iron availability and influence the global oceanic element cycles. The review study, titled “Iron’s Irony,” has been published in Communications Earth & Environment. Read MARUM press release

The A.G. Huntsman Medal is awarded annually by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in recognition of outstanding contributions to marine research. This year, Karen Wiltshire, former Vice Director of the AWI and Professor of Climate Sciences at the Trinity College Dublin, was honoured with the award for her scientific work. The award ceremony will take place on 15 October at Government House in Halifax. The distinguished lecture will begin at 10 a.m. in the Ford Auditorium of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography and will be broadcast live via Microsoft…

AWI marine biologist Melanie Bergmann participated in the WISSENSWERTE dialogue forum on 30 September as an expert on microplastics. In a panel discussion with other experts from the fields of toxicology, chemistry and medicine, she spoke about the potential effects of plastic particles on the human body and health. WISSENSWERTE is a German-language conference for science and journalism that takes place annually.

By signing the Inklupreneur Pledge, the Alfred Wegener Institute is setting an example for greater inclusion in the workplace. The initiative aims to create new career prospects for people with disabilities and to embed inclusive structures in the institute's corporate culture on a long-term basis. The collaboration started with a kick-off meeting with Inklupreneur on 23 September. More information.

The final symposium of the EU project Arctic PASSION took place in Potsdam on Monday and Tuesday. This marks the conclusion of the project, which was coordinated by AWI researcher Michael Karcher over the past four and a half years. The programme featured lectures and panel discussions that combined scientific perspectives on Arctic environmental observation with the knowledge of indigenous communities. The symposium is followed by the project’s two-day General Assembly.

The 15th ExtremeWeatherCongress will take place on 24 and 25 September at HafenCity University Hamburg. Leading experts from science, meteorology, climate research and the media will come together to discuss current developments related to extreme weather events, climate change and their consequences. The Alfred Wegener Institute will participate with several contributions, including lectures, a workshop and a live link to the research vessel “Polarstern”. The event will be broadcast live. More information.