Für mich ist es meine erste Seereise, das erste Mal länger als nur einen Tag auf dem Meer. Und ja, die Labradorsee ist vielleicht nicht unbedingt der einfachste Ort für den Einstieg. Wie viele andere wurde ich in der ersten Nacht ordentlich seekrank. Die starken Bewegungen der Maria S. Merian bei diesen rauen Bedingungen waren anfangs wirklich herausfordernd. Doch nach ein paar anstrengenden Stunden, viel Schlaf und einigen wetterbedingten Arbeitspausen gewöhnte man sich langsam an das ständige Schaukeln und der Bord Alltag konnte beginnen.
Wie beschreibt man das Leben auf einem Forschungsschiff für jemanden, der das noch nie erlebt hat?
Grundlegendes zuerst – das tägliche Leben an Bord:
Essen:
Für Verpflegung ist bestens gesorgt: Frühstück gibt es um 7:30 Uhr, Mittagessen um 11:30 Uhr und Abendessen bereits um 17:30 Uhr. Zusätzlich steht rund um die Uhr ein kleiner Kühlschrank mit Snacks bereit, niemand muss hier hungrig bleiben.
Schlaf:
Guter Schlaf ist zwar nicht immer garantiert, aber man lernt schnell, sich anzupassen. Die meisten Wissenschaftler schlafen in Zweierkabinen mit eigener Nasszelle. Wer Nachtschicht hat, lebt ohnehin in einem anderen Rhythmus. Ein hilfreicher Tipp von einem erfahrenen Seebären: Einfach eine Decke unter eine Seite der Matratze legen, um eine kleine Kuhle zu formen so rollt man nicht ständig hin und her. Mein persönlicher Trick: auf dem Bauch schlafen und sich mit Ellbogen und Knien stabilisieren. So kann man selbst bei starkem Seegang und 11 Windstärken erstaunlich gut schlafen, fast „wie in Mamas Arm“, wie Sascha sagen würde.
Freizeit an Bord:
Allein ist man hier selten, und das ist auch gut so. In den Laboren ist eigentlich immer etwas los, besonders im CTD-Labor, das schnell zum sozialen Mittelpunkt wird. Unser Fahrtleiter Fehmi hat sich vorgenommen, einen neuen CTD-Rekord aufzustellen, was uns viel Zeit dort verbringen lässt, zur Freude der einen und zur Herausforderung für unsere Chemiker.
Abends trifft man sich häufig im Hangar oder in der Messe, um gemeinsam den Tag mit einem Feierabendgetränk ausklingen zu lassen. Ein Highlight ist unser „Echtzeit-Werwolf“-Spiel: Vor ein paar Tagen wurden die Rollen verteilt, und seitdem wird jede Nacht jemand „eliminiert“. Tagsüber wird dann gemeinsam diskutiert und abgestimmt. Aktuell schlagen sich die „Schiffbewohner“ ziemlich gut – nach drei Tagen sind bereits drei Werwölfe enttarnt. Wir bleiben gespannt für wen es heute der letzte Sonnenaufgang war.
Sport und Ausgleich:
Wer sich bewegen möchte, kann den kleinen Sportraum Richtung Bug nutzen, ausgestattet mit Gewichten, Fahrrad, Rudergerät und sogar einem Laufband (auch wenn das bei Seegang durchaus Mut erfordert). Alle drei Tage gibt es außerdem ein Zirkeltraining unter Anleitung von Sven, unserem Chief Engineer. Danach lädt die Sauna zur wohlverdienten Entspannung ein.
Arbeiten auf dem Schiff:
Auch wenn man es sich anders vorstellt: Den Großteil der Zeit verbringt man tatsächlich im Inneren des Schiffs. Das liegt vor allem an den oft rauen Wetterbedingungen. Gearbeitet wird in verschiedenen Laboren oder, wenn möglich, an Deck zum Auswerfen und Einholen der Verankerungen sowie Gliedern.
Im Chemielabor werden Proben analysiert, während in anderen Bereichen Geräte vorbereitet, Daten ausgewertet und die nächsten Schritte geplant werden. Ein zentraler Bestandteil ist die Arbeit mit der CTD, also das Messen von Leitfähigkeit, Temperatur und Tiefe im Wasser.
Natürlich läuft nicht immer alles reibungslos. Wenn beim Aussetzen einer Verankerung ein Gerät nicht funktioniert, muss die gesamte Konstruktion wieder eingeholt, repariert und neu ausgebracht werden. In solchen Momenten ist gute Stimmung entscheidend, meine Empfehlung: einfach mal spontan Macarena tanzen. Das kann Wunder bewirken.
Trotz der intensiven Arbeit ist es genau diese Mischung aus Teamarbeit, gemeinsamen Herausforderungen und spontanen Momenten, die das Leben an Bord so besonders macht. Das gemeinsame Rätseln im CTD-Labor und die Planung unter wechselnden Wetterbedingungen, all das schweißt zusammen.
Nach drei Wochen wird das Schiff mehr als nur ein Arbeitsplatz, es wird zu einem kleinen, schwimmenden Zuhause auf Zeit.
Life and Work on Board a Research Vessel
This is my (Julia Pelle) first sea voyage, my first time spending more than just a day out on the ocean. And yes, the Labrador Sea might not be the easiest place to start. Like many others, I got properly seasick on the first night. The movement of the Maria S. Merian in such rough conditions were definitely challenging at first. But after a few exhausting hours, plenty of sleep, and some weather-related work delays, I gradually got used to the constant motion. Just like that, everyday life on board began.
So how do you describe life on a research vessel to someone who has never experienced it?
Let’s start with the basics, the daily routine on board:
Food:
Catering is excellent: breakfast is served at 7:30 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., and dinner as early as 5:30 p.m. In addition, there is a small fridge stocked with snacks available 24/7 so no one goes hungry.
Sleep:
Good sleep is not always guaranteed, but you quickly learn to adapt. Most scientists share double cabins with a shared bathroom. Those on night shifts naturally switch their day and night. A helpful tip from an experienced sailor: place a blanket under one side of your mattress to create a small dip this helps keep you from rolling around. My personal trick is to sleep on my stomach and stabilize myself with elbows and knees. That way, even in strong winds and heavy seas, I can sleep surprisingly well almost “like being held by your mom,” as Sascha would say.
Free time on board:
You are rarely alone here and that’s a good thing. There is almost always something going on in the labs, especially in the CTD lab, which quickly becomes a social hub. Our chief scientist, Fehmi, is aiming to break a new CTD record, which means we spend a lot of time there to the delight of some and the challenge of our chemists.
In the evenings, people often gather in the hangar or the mess room to wind down with a drink after work. One highlight is our “real-time Werewolf” game: roles were assigned a few days ago, and since then, one person is “eliminated” each night. During the day, everyone debates and votes. So far, the “ship community” is doing quite well after three days, three werewolves have already been identified. We’re curious to see for whom today’s sunrise will be the last.
Sports and relaxation:
For those who want to stay active, there is a small gym near the bow, equipped with weights, a bike, a rowing machine, and even a treadmill though using it in rough seas requires a bit of courage. Every three days, there is also a circuit training session led by Sven, our Chief Engineer. Afterwards, the sauna offers a perfect way to relax.
Working on the ship:
Even though you might imagine otherwise, most of the time is actually spent inside the ship, mainly due to the often harsh weather conditions. Work takes place in various laboratories or, when possible, on deck deploying and recovering moorings and equipment.
In the chemistry lab, samples are processed, while in other labs instruments are prepared, data is analysed, and plans for the coming days are made. A central part of the work is the CTD, which measures conductivity, temperature, and depth in the water.
Of course, things don’t always go smoothly. If a device fails while deploying a mooring, the entire setup has to be recovered, repaired, and redeployed. In moments like these, keeping a good mood is essential my recommendation: just dance the Macarena. It works surprisingly well.
Despite the demanding workload, it is exactly this mix of teamwork, shared challenges, and spontaneous moments that makes life on board so special. Figuring things out together in the CTD lab and planning around constantly changing weather conditions. All of this brings people closer together.
After three weeks, the ship becomes more than just a workplace it turns into a small, floating home.
Welcome to the M219 ocean blog!
Here, we will share updates and stories about the scientific work taking place during this research expedition. We also hope to offer a glimpse into daily life and work at sea.
For many members of the scientific party, this is their first time aboard METEOR. It will also be their last, as METEOR is embarking on its final voyage before retiring from service as a German research vessel after more than 40 years at sea. Over the course of its distinguished career, METEOR has travelled more than 1.7 million nautical miles, which is equivalent to more than 8 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Throughout those decades the vessel has supported countless scientific discoveries and generations of marine scientists. We are very grateful and honored to be part of the final chapter of this remarkable ship’s history and to accompany her on the last few thousand miles of her legendary journey.
The scientific program of this cruise focuses on long-term observations of ocean currents off the coast of Brazil and at the equator, as well as interdisciplinary measurements near the Cape Verde Islands. At all these sites, GEOMAR has maintained observational programs for the past 10 to 20 years. Over the next four weeks, we will introduce these regions and the measurements carried out there in more detail. But first, let’s look at what happened in Brazil before the cruise began.
On Thursday, May 28, many of the scientists and students left the hotel early in the morning to attend a seminar at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), celebrating the long-standing scientific collaboration between Brazil and Germany.
The seminar was opened by Prof. Dr. Marius Müller, a former student at GEOMAR and now a professor for biological oceanography at UFPE. These meetings have become a valued tradition, having been organized for more than 20 years by now. This year marked the 9th edition of the seminar since its inception over 20 years ago.
A total of 8 scientists and students from Brazil, Germany, and the U.S. presented their research on various aspects of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. We would like to thank Marius Müller, Doris Veleda and all the Brazilian scientists and students who helped organize the seminar and provided such a warm welcome. We greatly enjoyed the exchange of ideas and look forward to celebrating the 10th seminar in the years to come.
After the seminar we returned to the hotel, but there was little time to rest. Later that same day, the captain of METEOR and the German Consul General in Recife hosted a reception aboard METEOR in the Port of Recife.
The event brought together members of the scientific party, representatives of local institutions, and guests from the Brazilian and German scientific communities. It provided an excellent opportunity to celebrate the long-standing partnership between the two countries.
On Friday, May 29, the scientific party finally boarded METEOR. There was little time to settle into our cabins and workspaces, as preparations for departure were already in full swing. We left the Port of Recife as soon as possible and at around 1pm METEOR set sail and began the final voyage of her remarkable career.
About 12 hours after leaving port, we arrived at our first station. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of technical and scientific teams, all instruments had been installed and prepared in time for the start of operations. This station marked the beginning of our observational program off the coast of Brazil, which includes the deployment and recovery of tall moorings as well as CTD measurements. An intensive first week lies ahead, with a demanding schedule of measurements and mooring operations. After months of planning and preparation, everyone is excited to finally begin the scientific work and make the most of the final weeks aboard METEOR.
There are more than 2,000 species of gobies (Gobiidae) known to science today, making them the largest family of fish in the ocean. But these small creatures are far more complex and essential to marine ecosystems than first meets the eye. Found all around the world in brackish, fresh and salt water in tropical and subtropical regions, they are an astonishingly diverse group of fish with several curious characteristics that set them apart.
Most gobies are quite small and don’t usually measure more than six inches long. Measuring just about eight millimeters long, the dwarf pygmy goby (Trimmatom nanus) is not only the tiniest goby known to science but also one of the smallest of all fish species in the world.
Primarily bottom-dwellers, gobies are known to be excellent foragers and have evolved expert burrowing behaviors over time. As they sift around looking for food like copepods, seaworms and tiny crustaceans, their movement helps to aerate sediment and keep algae in check. Some are even known to be “cleaner fish,” snacking on parasites they remove off larger creatures. It’s like a spa day for the animal being cleaned and a choose-your-own-adventure buffet for the gobies. Studies also show that cleaner goby activity is largely tied to the microbial health of coral reefs, showcasing that even the tiniest of species are essential to functioning marine ecosystems.
Gobies have some unique aspects to their anatomy, too. First, their fused pelvic fins are designed to help them form a strong suction cup to perch on coral reefs, rocks and other ocean terrain amidst turbulent currents. Some freshwater species are even known to use this suction to climb waterfalls. It may come as no surprise then that gobies are cousins to mudskippers, animals known to “walk” through mud. There are more species-specific features that set certain gobies apart. From the use of bioluminescence to symbiotic relationships with shrimp, the adaptations within the goby family are truly wide-ranging. Some species have even been found to use marine terrain memorization to navigate back to the tide pools where they were born. Isn’t nature mind-blowing sometimes?
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Gobies have equally complex and varied behaviors. Male gobies are infamous for being territorial protectors of their nests. Many larger males are known as “guarders;” these hopeful fish make careful nests to attract a mate, and once fertilization occurs, guarders will remain diligently near the nests to keep eggs safe. However, there’s another type of male goby that complicates this dynamic. These other males are known as “sneaker gobies” and are called that for one reason: They’re sneaky! If guarder gobies aren’t careful, sneakers can creep into the nest, fertilize some of the eggs and quickly escape. As if on an underwater episode of Maury, guarder males who aren’t careful could end up unknowingly babysitting little gobies that aren’t their actual offspring.
Gobies serve as indicators of ecological health and are essential to keeping delicate food webs in check. Unfortunately, many changes in our ocean threaten their ability to survive and thrive today. Coral bleaching and degradation endanger the health of one of their key habitats, and a combination of warming waters and coastal development can make it difficult for both juvenile and adult gobies to survive and thrive.
Healthy gobies mean a healthy ocean. Their essential role in marine ecosystems demonstrates that even the tiniest creatures play a major role in helping hold together the beautiful yet fragile habitats that make up our beloved ocean. Visit Ocean Conservancy’s Action Center and join the movement to protect our blue planet today and for years to come—from the tiniest goby to the largest whales, our ocean is counting on us.
The post All About Gobies appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
Recently, you may have heard about something called “El Niño.” But what exactly is El Niño and its sibling “La Niña”? Why do these terms seem to emerge from the depths of the scientific community and drop into popular vocabulary every few years? And how are they connected to extreme weather and our ocean?
What Are El Niño and La Niña?
El Niño and La Niña are part of a natural climate pattern in the tropical Pacific called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. These two phases are different sides of the same coin, creating equally extreme shifts in temperature and air pressure.
El Niño occurs when surface water in the equatorial Pacific becomes warmer than average and easterly winds weaken. La Niña is the opposite: cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures and stronger easterly winds. ENSO cycles can last up to seven years. El Niño and La Niña significantly impact weather patterns in all corners of the globe, often leading to more extreme weather, storm frequency and intensity.
A strong El Niño can cause flooding in some regions and drought, heat waves and wildfires in others. It often causes crop losses, coral bleaching and marine die-offs due to unusually warm ocean temperatures. El Niño tends to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity, though it increases the risk of heavy precipitation and harm to fisheries elsewhere. In the Northern Hemisphere, El Niño typically builds between March and June, peaks in December, and weakens by February.
La Niña, by contrast, often fuels an active Atlantic hurricane season and increases tornado frequency across the southern United States. Like El Niño, it builds in spring and peaks around December.
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Predicting ENSO
In 1923, the physicist Sir Gilbert Walker discovered the “Southern Oscillation,” or large-scale changes in sea level pressure across the tropical Pacific. However, it wasn’t until the late 1960s that the metorologist Jacob Bjerknes found that the changes in the ocean and the atmosphere were connected, and the hybrid term “ENSO” was born. In 1974, researchers at Oregon State University attempted to predict ENSO for the first time.
Modeling has greatly advanced since the early days. Today, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issue regular predictions about ENSO, which are now more accurate than ever.
NOAA gives a one-in-four chance that an El Niño could reach “very strong” intensity later in 2026, qualifying it as a “super El Niño.” This threshold has been crossed only a handful of times in recorded history, each triggering droughts, floods and record temperatures across multiple continents. NOAA’s data and models deliver life-saving early warning forecasts, like that of the predicted super El Niño, which allow communities to better prepare for and respond to extreme weather events.
Take Action
Every American, regardless of where they live, depends on NOAA’s scientists and professionals, whose work spans from the ocean floor to the far reaches of space. Unfortunately, NOAA is under threat. The Trump administration has proposed billions of dollars in cuts to the agency, which could weaken weather forecasting, disrupt fisheries management and stall critical ocean research, putting American lives and global scientific leadership at risk.
Ocean Conservancy is committed to working with NOAA to keep the public informed on climate and ocean science. We all benefit from a healthier ocean, and investing in research is the most effective way to restore ocean health and reduce the impact of severe weather events caused by El Niño and La Niña. Our ocean is not partisan, and protecting it requires all hands on deck and all sides of the aisle. Now, it’s more important than ever to demand that members of Congress prioritize our ocean. Add your name now.
The post Do You Know the Difference Between El Niño and La Niña? appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
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