Olá da Madeira! The island – a green paradise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – has been home to us for almost three months already. How the time flies!
We are Lara and Karo, one of 8 teams that currently conduct experiments all over the world as part of this year’s GAME project. Lara is a Marine Biology student currently enrolled at the University of Rostock and she is collecting data for her master thesis within the project. When she heard about GAME from her professor, she knew she had to be part of it! Karo is studying Biological Oceanography in Kiel. She found her passion for marine sciences quite recently and has never lived close to the ocean on beforehand. It was a dream of them both to join this project!
This year’s aim is – like in the previous years since 2021 – to investigate the effects of artificial light at night (or ALAN for short). We want to see how this phenomenon affects macroalgae in their ability to photosynthesize, grow and defend themselves against grazers. After an intense planning phase in March, during which we decided on the design of our experiments, we were more than glad to leave cold and grey northern Germany behind and escape into the sunny, subtropical climate of Madeira.
Finding accommodation was not easy, but in the end, we found a nice flat in the capital city Funchal with (almost) an ocean view! More than this, we have a balcony where we’ve enjoyed many lengthy weekend breakfasts.
We had an enjoyable first week when we settled into our flat, scouted the city and tried to figure out the bus system, which proved to be kind of complicated, since there are so many different bus companies here. One thing we learned very quickly, though: walking on this island requires strong calves. Madeira is hills…hills…and more hills. This is why you hardly ever see local people walking here – sometimes you get funny looks when you are doing a typical German “Spaziergang” (which is more like a hike over here), and you really have to watch out not to get run over by a bus or a car.
Then, we finally met the team of the Marine and Environmental Science Centre “MARE”. In our first meeting, we sat together with our supervisors (who are all former GAME participants!) and discussed how we could make our experiments here successful. Everyone was excited and motivated to get our project started!
Not long after, we made our first trip to the laboratory where we are conducting our experiments together. It is located in Quinta do Lorde, a place on the easternmost part of the island. It is close to the peninsula “Ponta de São Lourenço” which offers stunning views over the rugged coastline of the volcanic island. This part of the island is very dry and it almost feels like you have stepped into a desert – quite the contrast to the rest of Madeira, which is a lush, green paradise.
It is also the perfect spot for investigating ALAN, since it is very isolated and therefore mostly uninfluenced by nighttime illumination. Hence, the marine life here is not already adapted to light at night. The only downgrade is: the lab is located quite far away from Funchal, where we live. Most days, we have to take a bus that takes the scenic route and drives 1.5 hours along the coast, up and down the hills. At least we are rewarded with pretty ocean views during the drive – or we go for a little nap, especially after a long day in the lab. Thankfully, we can sometimes catch a ride in the car with our supervisors.
In the first weeks, we worked hard to build up our experimental set-up. Thanks to the great work of former GAME students, our lab is already equipped with most of the materials that we need, so we could quickly set up a flow-through system to supply running water to our algae. But we celebrated too soon: The complete water system of the lab had to be cleaned with bleach due to some pesky epiphytic growth and that meant that we had to re-do the flow through system again from scratch. We patiently cut tubes, and more tubes and connected them with little plastic suppliers, which let out filtered seawater to each of our 72 experimental tanks.
To give our algae as much light as possible, so that they are able to happily photosynthesize, we decided to order more LED lamps. One thing we did not anticipate: Madeira is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, around 1000 km from the European coastline (the African coast is actually closer!), so equipment can take a loooong time to arrive. We were lucky that our lamps arrived “only” 3 weeks later, but already we faced the next challenge: connecting our lights to the control unit, with which we want to regulate the light intensity that our algae will be exposed to, proved to be more difficult than we had previously thought. However, with the help of the lab technician Patrício we quickly found a solution!
When we weren’t diligently building our set-up, we spent our days snorkelling in different places on the south coast of the island, looking for algae “candidates” that we could use in our experiments. Easier said than done, because the waters around Madeira are depleted in nutrients and large macroalgae are rare to find. We quickly decided on using Halopteris scoparia, a brown macroalgae that is quite abundant in the upper subtidal and therefore possible for us to collect while snorkelling. Another (particularly interesting) candidate is Rugulopteryx okamurae, an invasive brown alga, that has first been introduced on the north coast of Madeira in 2021 and since then spread rapidly – it is even growing on the pontoons in the marina outside our lab. It could be especially interesting to investigate how this species reacts to ALAN in comparison to native algae.
Since we want to investigate how ALAN affects the defence capacity of our algae, we also had to find suitable grazers (=algae eaters). Our options were less than ideal: Should we use sea urchins (even though they are very hungry and consume our algae in too large amounts) or intertidal snails (even though this makes less sense ecologically, because our algae come from the subtidal). In the end, we decided on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, which we can easily collect in the tide pools next to our lab. Did we say easy? – To get the hang of how to sample these little algae eaters took some blood, sweat and tears. Equipped with forks and buckets; after waiting for low tide to arrive, we wade into the tide pools and try to gently (or not so gently) persuade our sea urchins to come out of the holes in the rock that they like to sit in. We always take good care not to injure or stress them too much, but some unfortunately have already met their fate.
Before we could start with the main experiments, we had to test a few things. For instance, how much and when the sea urchins eat and how much the algae photosynthesize. To find this out, we carried out some pilot studies – more or less successfully. During one of our pilot studies all our sea urchins mysteriously died, probably after some contamination[LM1] [LH2] of the water. In addition to this, our method for measuring the oxygen production initially did not work, because the oxygen values we measured did not stabilize and photosynthesized waaaay too slowly despite looking perfectly healthy. After many hours of trial and error, we fortunately found a way that should allow us to accurately assess the oxygen evolution. For this[LM3] , we increased the light intensity to help the algae photosynthesize more quickly and also got a multi-position magnetic stirrer where we can put multiple of our containers with algae on simultaneously. A little magnetic bar keeps the water in the containers in constant motion, resulting in more stable oxygen measurements.
Furthermore, we have another nice tool available here. It is a PAM, which is short for Pulse Amplitude Modulation. Behind this rather complicated name lies a technology with which we can assess how well our algae are absorbing sunlight for photosynthesis and ultimately determine their health status. Because no one in the institute had used the device before, we had to do a lot of headache-inducing reading (the 200-page manual is not easy to understand) and carry out some test runs to get prepared for the measurements. Our weekly meetings with the other GAME participants became crucial for discussing challenges and brainstorming solutions together – so far this project has been a huge learning curve for the both of us.
Our lunch breaks we share with the lizards. Fun fact: there are more lizards than mice on Madeira! They are called Madeira lizards (Teira dugesii) and they are endemic to some of the Macaronesian islands. They are very curious creatures – especially when we unpack our food. They sometimes even like to jump on our feet, but you have to watch out that they don’t crawl inside your backpack, and you accidentally take home a new pet.
When we are not in the lab, we also know how to have fun (not that being in the lab is not fun). Madeira is an island full of amazing places and activities, and it’s a hiker’s paradise! There are a lot of different routes to explore, very famous are “levada” walks here. Levadas are old, narrow water channels that wind through the mountains. They were constructed to carry water from the misty mountains down to the drier parts of the island to water the crops of the farmers. You can walk along these levadas and enjoy the views over the island!
Besides doing a lot of hiking and training our calves, we have spotted some dolphins, explored different beaches, and even got swept up in the European Championships fever. Since Madeira is Cristiano Ronaldo’s birthplace, people here (young and old) are fans, and we joined the locals cheering for the Portuguese soccer team. Of course, we also had to try Madeira’s famous “poncha”, a traditional drink with rum and fresh fruit juice – typically lemon, orange, or – our favourite – maracuja. Another drink is Nikita, which is a mixture of pineapple juice, ice cream and beer. It tastes… well… interesting, as Karo’s face in the picture shows.
Madeira’s climate is perfect for growing all kinds of tropical fruits and other plants. What people keep as house plants in Germany, grows here in ditches next to the road, or in the size of trees – Monstera leaves get almost bigger than oneself! We also tried some fruits here that we have never seen before in our life. Our flatmate’s supervisor even has avocado trees in his backyard, which we sometimes get a share of – a luxury we will sorely miss back in Germany.
Another thing we learned here: you can never trust the weather forecast. In Funchal, situated on the south coast, the weather is usually pretty dry and sunny. However, it’s a different story for the North coast, where it rains more frequently, and temperatures are cooler. But even here on the sunny south coast, you never know what to wear. You could burn under the African sun or in the next second freeze from the wind, especially in the evenings, when the sun is already down. The onion-principle (a German favourite) really proves best.
We have been really enjoying our time here so far and we are sure by the end of September we will not want to go back to Germany. We have finished the first experiment and are soon starting the second one, we are excited to see what happens!
Lights, Algae, Action! Researching light pollution in the middle of the Atlantic
Between all the scientific work, we celebrated Easter on board, although the weather had other plans for us. Due to rough conditions, we weren’t able to carry out any CTD casts.
Easter itself was spent in a mix of rest and small celebrations. Some of us enjoyed a long Easter breakfast with traditional Easter bread, while others took the opportunity to sleep in. In the evening, we gathered with both crew and scientists for a small celebration. The ship’s cook even organized a quiz, and those who answered correctly were rewarded with Easter chocolate.
The next day, the weather improved, and we began early with the recovery of K1, a 3,495-meter-long mooring in the middle of the Labrador Sea.
We joined the nautical officers on the bridge before sunrise to search for it. Fortunately, K1 has a floating buoy with a light, so we were able to spot it even in the dark. The actual recovery started at first light, and it began to snow while we were working.
Amid all the CTDs and mooring operations, there was also a personal highlight: my (Sarah’s) birthday. Although I’ve spent birthdays away from home before, this one felt especially unique, being so far out at sea, with only limited internet contact.
Normally, I work the 4-8 shift, but my incredibly kind shift team gave me the morning off. That meant I could sleep in and even find time to call family and friends back home. In the afternoon, I was surprised with my favourite cake, baked by Julia.
Our work continued with the mooring array at 53°N, which consists of seven moorings. So far, we have recovered five (K7, K8, K9, DSOW1 and DSOW2), and three of them have already been redeployed (K7, K8 and DSOW1,).
Deploying K7 turned out to be particularly tricky. On our first attempt, sea ice drifted toward us faster than expected, forcing us to recover nearly half of the mooring again. While the ship itself can handle drifting ice, deploying a mooring is much more delicate: a long cable with instruments and floats is released behind the ship before the anchor is dropped, allowing the system to sink into place.
Two days later, we tried again and this time, the deployment was successful.
Afterwards, we moved closer to the sea ice, which was a highlight for many of us. Seeing the ice up close and even spotting a seal swimming nearby, made the experience unforgettable.
Due to the continuing harsh weather, the decision was made to return to K1 and make use of an upcoming weather window for deployment the following day.
German:
Zwischen Stürmen und Wissenschaft: Ostern in der Labradorsee (04.04.26 – 13.04.26)
Zwischen all der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit haben wir Ostern an Bord gefeiert, auch wenn das Wetter andere Pläne für uns hatte. Aufgrund der rauen Bedingungen konnten wir keine CTD-Messungen durchführen (Messungen von Leitfähigkeit, Temperatur und Tiefe im Ozean).
Ostern selbst war eine Mischung aus Erholung und kleinen Feierlichkeiten. Einige von uns genossen ein ausgedehntes Osterfrühstück mit traditionellem Osterbrot, während andere die Gelegenheit nutzten, etwas länger zu schlafen. Am Abend kamen Crew und Wissenschaftler*innen zu einer kleinen Feier zusammen. Der Koch organisierte sogar ein Quiz, und wer die Fragen richtig beantwortete, wurde mit Oster-Schokolade belohnt.
Am nächsten Tag besserte sich das Wetter, und wir begannen früh mit der Bergung von K1, einer 3.495 Meter langen Verankerung mitten in der Labradorsee. (Eine Verankerung ist eine lange, am Meeresboden befestigter Draht, der mit Instrumenten ausgestattet ist, um über längere Zeit Ozeandaten zu messen.)
Noch vor Sonnenaufgang gingen wir mit den nautischen Offizieren auf die Brücke, um nach ihr Ausschau zu halten. Glücklicherweise verfügt K1 über eine schwimmende Boje mit Licht, sodass wir sie bereits im Dunkeln entdecken konnten. Die eigentliche Bergung begann bei Tagesanbruch und es begann sogar zu schneien.
Zwischen all den CTD-Einsätzen und Verankerungsarbeiten gab es auch ein persönliches Highlight: meinen (Sarahs) Geburtstag. Obwohl ich schon öfter Geburtstage fernab von zu Hause verbracht habe, war dieser besonders, so weit draußen auf dem Meer und mit nur eingeschränktem Internetkontakt.
Normalerweise arbeite ich in der 4-8 Uhr Schicht, aber mein unglaublich nettes Schichtteam hat mir den Morgendienst freigegeben. So konnte ich etwas länger schlafen und hatte sogar Zeit, mit Familie und Freunden zu Hause zu telefonieren. Am Nachmittag wurde ich dann noch mit meinem Lieblingskuchen überrascht, den Julia für mich gebacken hat.
Unsere Arbeit ging weiter mit dem Verankerungs-Array bei 53°, das aus sieben Verankerungen besteht. Bisher haben wir fünf geborgen (DSOW1, DSOW2, K7, K8 und K9), von denen drei bereits wieder ausgebracht wurden (DSOW1, K7 und K8).
Das Ausbringen von K7 erwies sich als besonders schwierig. Beim ersten Versuch trieb das Meereis schneller auf uns zu als erwartet, sodass wir fast die Hälfte der Verankerung wieder einholen mussten. Obwohl das Schiff selbst gut durch treibendes Eis navigieren kann, ist das Ausbringen einer Verankerung deutlich anspruchsvoller: Dabei wird ein langer Draht mit Messinstrumenten und Auftriebskörpern hinter dem Schiff ausgesetzt, bevor am Ende der Anker gelöst wird und das gesamte System absinkt.
Zwei Tage später versuchten wir es erneut, diesmal mit Erfolg.
Anschließend fuhren wir näher an das Meereis heran, was für viele von uns ein besonderes Highlight war. Das Eis aus nächster Nähe zu sehen und sogar eine Robbe in der Nähe schwimmen zu beobachten, machte das Erlebnis unvergesslich.
Aufgrund der weiterhin rauen Wetterbedingungen wurde schließlich entschieden, zu K1 zurückzukehren, um ein bevorstehendes Wetterfenster für die Ausbringung am nächsten Tag zu nutzen.
Between Storms and Science: Easter in the Labrador Sea (04.04.26–13.04.26)
Ocean Acidification
Humans Just Flew Around the Moon This Week. But Would Babies Born There Ever Truly Feel Gravity? Ask Jellyfish Babies.
This week, NASA’s Artemis II crew made history by flying around the Moon and returning safely to Earth, the first human journey to the Moon’s vicinity in more than 50 years. It was a stunning reminder that humanity is no longer just dreaming about living beyond Earth. We are actively rehearsing for it.
And that leads to a much stranger, deeper question: even if one day we build skyscrapers on the Moon, raise families there, and turn space into a place to live, will babies born away from Earth develop a normal sense of gravity? Or will their bodies learn the universe differently?
To explore that question, NASA once turned to an unexpected stand-in for human babies: jellyfish babies. On the STS-40 mission, scientists sent thousands of tiny jellyfish polyps into space because jellyfish, like humans, rely on gravity-sensing structures to orient themselves. The experiment asked a simple but profound question: if a living body develops in microgravity, will it still know how to handle gravity later?
The answer was both fascinating and unsettling. The jellyfish developed in space in large numbers, but once back under Earth’s gravity, the ones that had developed in microgravity showed far more pulsing abnormalities than the Earth-grown controls. In other words, their bodies formed, but their sense of balance did not seem to work quite the same way.
That is why this old jellyfish experiment still matters today. Before we imagine lunar cities, schools, nurseries, and generations born off-world, we need to ask not only whether humans can survive in space, but whether developing there changes how the body understands something as basic as up, down, and movement. Jellyfish babies cannot tell us everything about human children, but they may have given us one of the first clues that life born beyond Earth might not come home unchanged.
Reference: https://nlsp.nasa.gov/view/lsdapub/lsda_experiment/0c10d660-6b12-573d-8c3b-e20e071aed3b
Image: GEOMAR, Sarah Uphoff
After a slight delay of the Maria S. Merian caused by late-arriving containers our research cruise MSM142 finally got underway. By last Tuesday (24.03.2026), the full scientific team had arrived in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and the ship reached port on Wednesday (25.03.2026) morning. That same day, scientists and technicians moved on board and immediately began preparations, assembling and testing our instruments. Although the mornings on Wednesday and Thursday were grey and overcast, the afternoons cleared up beautifully. This gave us valuable time to organize equipment on deck and store empty boxes back into the containers before departure.
Given the forecast of harsh conditions outside the fjord, we carried out the mandatory safety drill while still in harbour. This included practicing emergency procedures and boarding the lifeboat. After completing border control, we were finally ready to leave Nuuk. We set sail on March 27th, heading into the Labrador Sea to begin our mission. Even before starting scientific operations, we tested the setup for deploying our gliders without releasing them during the transit out of the fjord. Once we reached open waters, we were met by high waves the following morning. For some on board, this was their first experience under such rough sea conditions. Seasickness quickly became a challenge for a few, while scientific work had to be temporarily postponed due to the strong winds and sea conditions. Together with the crew, we discussed how best to adapt our measurement plans to the given weather conditions. On March 29th, we were finally able to begin our scientific program with the first CTD deployment. A CTD is an instrument used to measure conductivity, temperature, and depth, which are key parameters for understanding ocean structure.
During the following night, we continued with additional CTD stations and successfully recovered two moorings: DSOW 3 and DSOW 4, located south of Greenland. These moorings carry instruments at various depths that measure velocity, temperature, and salinity. DSOW 4 was redeployed on the same day, while DSOW 3 followed the next day. In addition, the bottles attached to the CTD’s rosette can be used to collect water samples from any desired depth. These samples can be used, for example, to determine the oxygen content, nutrient levels, and organic matter.
Both are part of the OSNAP array, a network of moorings spanning the subpolar North Atlantic. On these moorings are a few instruments, for example microcats which measure temperature, pressure and salinity.
We then conducted around 25 CTD stations spaced approximately 3 nautical miles apart across an Irminger ring identified from satellite data. This high-resolution sampling was necessary to capture the structure of an Irminger Ring, which had a radius of about 12 km wide.
The days leading up to April 2nd were marked by very rough weather conditions. Life on board became both challenging and, at times, unintentionally entertaining sliding chairs were not uncommon. During the night from April 1st to April 2nd, winds reached 11 Beaufort with gusts up to 65 knots, forcing us to pause our measurements. Fortunately, conditions improved by morning, allowing us to resume our work. As well as with the help of the crew we had to adapt to the harsh weather conditions to continue our scientific work. On the 3rd of April, we were able to deploy a few gliders and one float. An ocean glider is an autonomous underwater Vehicle, which you can steer remotely and send to different locations, while it is measuring oceanographic key parameters.
This research cruise focuses on understanding small-scale processes in the ocean and their connection to the spring bloom, an essential phase in marine ecosystem in subpolar regions. Despite the challenging start, we have already gathered valuable data and look forward to the weeks ahead in the Labrador Sea.
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