Department "Biological Carbon Pump & Plankton" 

The oceans' biological carbon pump is a complex network of biogeochemical processes through which atmospheric carbon is drawn in by organisms at the sea surface and transported to greater depths and the sea floor. Plankton, as well as organic particles (also called marine snow) form the basis of the marine food web and make an important contribution to the biological carbon pump. My research group focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal distribution, origin, properties and biodiversity of these organisms and particles in order to characterize their impact on the ocean’s carbon cycle. We use high-resolution, autonomous camera systems as well as AI-based image analysis to determine the balance between biological productivity and carbon export at unprecedented resolution. Our research makes a fundamental contribution toward the sustainable development of coastal oceans by providing an integrative and predictive understanding of the biological, chemical and physical influences on the functioning of the biological carbon pump “from physics to fish”. Furthermore, we aim to establish standards and observational capacities for MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR).