idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Hereon coordinates research on environmental pollution in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica
The international research program Antarctica InSync, initiated and coordinated by the Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, has published a Science Plan for comprehensive research on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon is coordinating the Scientific Theme “Anthropogenic Impacts in Antarctica.” This research will examine the occurrence of various human-caused pollutants, as well as the impacts of tourism, underwater noise, and invasive species. The expeditions will begin in late 2027.
Antarctica is one of the world’s most important regions for researching climate change and its consequences. It has a significant influence on the Earth’s climate and is particularly sensitive to changes. To better understand the interrelationships between ice, ocean, climate, environment, and living organisms, UNESCO has designated the international research program “Antarctica International Science & Infrastructure for Synchronous Observation” (Antarctica InSync) as a UN Decade Program within the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science. The goal is to provide knowledge for the protection of marine ecosystems, the fight against environmental pollution, and the development of solutions to climate change. Scientists from around the world conduct joint measurement campaigns, share data and research infrastructure, and generate extensive findings.
Unique expertise at Hereon
Antarctica InSync is divided into seven scientific themes. Among other things, physical and biogeochemical cycles in the ocean, ice sheets and ice shelves, ecosystems, interactions in the atmosphere, and tipping points in a changing climate are investigated.
Hereon coordinates the fifth of the seven Scientific Themes, which is dedicated to the impacts of human activities in Antarctica. The researchers will collect samples of air, seawater, ice, sediments, and organisms on land and in the ocean. Hereon contributes unique expertise and technologies to this effort: Using highly sensitive analytical methods, the researchers will examine the samples for pollutants such as PFAS (forever chemicals), organic phosphoric acid esters, which are increasingly used as alternative flame retardants, as well as other new types of pollutants and micro- and nanoplastics. They will also investigate the impact of underwater noise, invasive species, shipping, fishing, and tourism.
“The findings are intended to reveal how these environmental pressures affect Antarctic ecosystems and how they interact with the consequences of climate change,” says Dr. Zhiyong Xie, scientific coordinator of the Scientific Theme 5 at the Hereon Institute of Coastal Environmental Chemistry.
Platform for International Collaboration
To coordinate the international implementation of the Scientific Themes, Antarctica InSync maintains a network of national committees. The German National Committee plays a key role in close collaboration with the Umweltbundesamt(UBA) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). “It creates a unique platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and helps ensure that German research makes an effective contribution to international efforts to better understand and protect Antarctica in the long term,” says Prof. Ralf Ebinghaus, director of the Hereon Institute of Coastal Environmental Chemistry and member of the German National Committee.
SCAR Open Science Conference
The Antarctica InSync Science Plan will be presented at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Oslo from August 8 to 19, 2026. Participating scientists will discuss their future collaboration there and plan the scientific expeditions for the years 2027 through 2030.
Cutting-edge research for a changing world
The aim of the research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon is to preserve a world worth living in. To this end, approximately 1,000 staff members generate knowledge and explore new technologies to enhance resilience and sustainability – for the benefit of the climate, the coast and people. The path from idea to innovation involves a continuous interplay between experimental studies, modelling and artificial intelligence, culminating in digital twins that replicate the myriad parameters of climate and coastal environments or human biology within a computer. This takes an interdisciplinary approach, bridging the gap between a fundamental scientific understanding of complex systems and practical applications and real-world scenarios. As an active member of national and international research networks and the Helmholtz Association, Hereon supports policymakers, industry and society in shaping a sustainable future by sharing the expertise it has gained.
Dr. Zhiyong Xie
Scientist and Coordinator
Hereon Institute of Coastal Environmental Chemistry
Phone: +49 4152 872330
Email: zhiyong.xie@hereon.de
https://hereon.de/communication_media/news/121630/index.php.en
Penguins in Atka Bay, Antarctica
Source: Zhiyong Xie
Copyright: Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
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