In recognition of her services to science, to the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research and to Bremen as a location for science, Prof. Antje Boetius has been awarded the Bremen Senate Medal for Art and Science. The Mayor of Bremen, Dr Andreas Bovenschulte, and the Senator for the Environment, Climate and Science, Kathrin Moosdorf, presented Prof. Boetius with her medal and certificate at a ceremony in the Upper Hall at Bremen Town Hall. The Senate had passed a motion approving the honour in June 2024. Musicians from Orchester des Wandels e.V. – a group committed to climate, natural and species protection – provided the musical accompaniment for the ceremony.
Presenting the award, Dr Andreas Bovenschulte said: “As a child, Antje Boetius wanted to be two things when she grew up: a pirate and a researcher. Ultimately, she opted for science, which was a stroke of good fortune for Bremen – and not only because, with our ports and as a key location for trade, we have a natural aversion to pirates. It was also fortunate because Antje Boetius is such an excellent ambassador for the Alfred Wegener Institute, for marine research and for Bremerhaven. Her word carries as much weight in scientific circles as it does in civil society, in the Terra X popular science TV series and as an advisor in a fictional TV series. Communicating scientific insights is a matter close to her heart.”
Senator Kathrin Moosdorf added: “Antje Boetius is an outstanding advocate for marine research and climate protection in Germany. Her tireless work has garnered respect in Bremen and far beyond, making our federal state visible as a location for science on the international stage. Prof. Boetius understands how to combine cutting-edge international research with local networking, forging bridges between science, society and politics. Her move to the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute underlines the quality of marine research in Bremen. While her departure is a loss, it opens up new opportunities for international cooperation, driving marine research and ocean protection forward.”
Prof. Antje Boetius: “This medal is a great honour for me, especially in view of the past recipients. And I’m particularly pleased given the wide-ranging collaborations that I’ve been able to try out, linking the arts and science. Together, Bremen and Bremerhaven have a wonderful network of individuals engaging in and supporting internationally outstanding artistic and scientific activities. This is what makes our state so loveable and liveable; it deserves a bigger platform and more attention. I am very grateful to the Senate, and to the people gathered here, for their work and their exceptional solidarity.”
An outstanding scientist
Prof. Antje Boetius is a polar and deep sea researcher, Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and Professor of Geomicrobiology at University of Bremen. She is part of “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface”, a Cluster of Excellence at MARUM, and a founding member of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) through the AWI.
Born and raised in Frankfurt am Main and Darmstadt, she moved to northern Germany to study and conduct research. Bremen and Bremerhaven have served as the launching point for her expeditions since 1999, with a significant proportion of her work taking place on the high seas. She has participated in roughly 50 expeditions on German and foreign research vessels since 1989, collecting and analysing samples with a number of innovative methods.
Prof. Boetius has received various accolades, both within Germany and internationally, acknowledging her outstanding work in research and scientific communication. These include the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize in 2009 – the most prestigious German research award; the German Environmental Award in 2018 – one of the most valuable environmental prizes in Europe; and the Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Prize in 2022 – presented by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Stifterverband for outstanding contributions to science.
On 1 May 2025, Prof. Antje Boetius will take up a new position as Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in California. The MBARI ranks as one of the world’s foremost ocean research and marine technology institutes.