Ulva Tomorrow’s ‘Wheat of the Sea’
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 2 December 2021
The SeaWheat project, led by scientists from 28 countries, explores sustainable mariculture using the seaweed Ulva to boost food security, reduce eutrophication, and support coastal economies, aligning with EU and UN sustainability goals.
Keywords: food security, algae farming, coastal sustainability, seaweed, blue economy
Drilling into Antarctica’s past to see our future
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 14 December 2021
The SWAIS 2C project will drill beneath Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf to study how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet responded to past warm climates, aiming to better predict future sea level rise under global warming scenarios.
Keywords: ice sheet sensitivity, marine geology, micropalaeontology, international research, CO₂ targets, tipping points
Abundance of life discovered beneath an Antarctic ice shelf
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 20 December 2021
Scientists found unexpectedly rich marine life beneath Antarctica's Ekström Ice Shelf, including 77 species. Despite darkness and isolation, organisms may thrive on algae transported from open waters—some living there for nearly 6,000 years.
Keywords: carbon dating, phytoplankton, cold ecosystems, British Antarctic Survey, deep sea biology
