For those who have never heard of GAME: the acronym stands for Global Approach by Modular Experiments, an internationally oriented research and training program in marine ecology that is in existence for over two decades now. Every year, young researchers from around the world – from Finland to Malaysia, from Japan to Chile – work together on a common research question. Identical experiments are conducted at eight different locations so that the results, which are obtained within six months, can be compared across latitudes, climatic conditions, and biogeographical zones.
In a time that confronts us with global environmental crises, such as climate change and the massive loss of biodiversity, we need precisely such large-scale, coordinated research approaches. Because only by understanding how the reaction of ecological processes to anthropogenic pressures is shaped by environmental conditions, we can make well-founded statements about their stability, vulnerability, or adaptability – and ultimately develop better conservation measures.
And who is GAME 2025? We are 16 master’s students from various countries—Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cape Verde, Wales, Finland, Chile, and Germany—who, after a one-month long preparation course at GEOMAR in Kiel travelled in teams of two persons to eight countries to collect data. Everything is coordinated by Mark Lenz. Since 2004, the Kiel native has been the scientific coordinator of the international research and training program GAME at GEOMAR.
And who are we?
Hola from Spain!
Anna [27] from Osnabrück and Verena [27] from Potsdam are Team Spain 2025.
Anna
I began my biological career in Osnabrück with a Bachelor’s degree in Biosciences. I continued within the Master’s program, “From Molecule to Organism,” also in Osnabrück. During my studies, I had the opportunity to explore many different fields and build a broad knowledge base. Two marine biology excursions, in particular, captured my enthusiasm: one to the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, and another to the Station Biologique de Roscoff on France’s north-western coast. Working in marine biology was so rewarding that I wanted to write my master’s thesis in this field. Since there is unfortunately no sea in Osnabrück, I looked for alternatives and discovered GAME. What fascinates me about the program is its global character and excellent training, which prepares you for a career in science—on top of that, the research topic of 2025 itself is truly captivating.
Verena
Originally, I come from the southwest, from the beautiful and most sunny place in Germany – Freiburg – but started studying biology in Tübingen. For my Bachelor thesis, I already worked with aquatic organisms and investigated the behaviour and personalities of weakly-electric fish (Apteronotus leporhynchus). After the time in the south of Germany, I wanted a change. Change in place and change in study and this brought me to Potsdam and to Geoecology. Through my studies, I already had a lot to do with global concepts and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to be part in an international program like GAME.
And now? We are in Spain. More precisely….
…in Vigo. For many, it may be just a tiny dot on the map in the far northwest of Spain—if they even know it at all. Nestled between dense pine forests, the rough Atlantic Ocean, an impressive mountain backdrop, and a view on the Cíes Islands (part of the Islas Atlántica de Galicia National Park), Vigo will be our new home and workplace for the next six months.
The name might suggests that Vigo is a small town. The name comes from the Latin vicus spacorum, it means “small village.” However, it is the largest city in Galicia, located in northwest Spain on the Ría de Vigo, a bay that extends 15 km inland to Arcade (Santiago).
The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding mountains not only offers a breathtaking panorama, which can be admired from many viewpoints (Mirador) in and around Vigo, but also means that this region is blessed with very high rainfall. Vigo records an annual rainfall of 1787 mm, compared to only 750 mm in Kiel.
Due to the city’s hilly location, numerous escalators and elevators make everyday life and our initial exploration of the city easier.
One of our first destinations was the Monte O Castro fortress, which towers 130 meters above Vigo and offered us a first magnificent view of the city, the other shore, and the offshore islands.
On the way back to the harbour, we passed through the old town, among other places. Numerous restaurants, taverns, and tapas bars invite you to sample the many delicacies of the region. Vigo is particularly known for its seafood, especially oysters, which are cultivated in the numerous oyster farms in the bay. The wide Rua do Príncipe, which is perfect for a shopping trip, leads to the waterfront promenade. But we’re not the only ones who’ll be heading for the main shopping street. Another thing we quickly noticed: Every day, many pilgrims walk through the city on their way to Santiago de Compostela. The end point of the Way of St. James is only about 80 km from our port city. A destination that’s definitely on our bucket list.
Down at the port, instead of beaches and sand, there are numerous ships to admire. From cruise ships to industrial vessels to yachts, there is something for every ship enthusiast. Vigo’s harbours have not only a Mediterranean flair but also a strong industrial port city character.
In a few weeks, one of these ports, in the Bouzas district, will host our field experiment.
But first, we headed west, about 20 minutes from the center, along the coast, past beautiful beaches and scenery, to the Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo.
There, we were warmly welcomed by our two team supervisors, Eva Cacabelos and Paplo Otero. First on the agenda, of course, was a tour of the institute – beautifully situated, right on the rugged Atlantic coast. Up on the roof terrace, with coffee in hand and a sea breeze around us, we turned to the real reason for our stay: our master’s thesis and this year’s GAME project, which is themed “ALAN.” You’ll find out exactly what’s behind it and what initial difficulties we encountered in a moment.
But first, a moment to take it all in and enjoying the view of the Cíes Islands.
Before the hustle and bustle of summer begins, we should definitely take the ferry across and ideally camp there for a night. Not only do the paradisiacal beaches and crystal-clear water attract hundreds of visitors every year, the nature reserve also serves as a refuge for countless bird species.
The Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo has been conducting marine research since 1917 and is part of the IEO (Instituto Español de Oceanografía). This, in turn, was founded in 1914 and is now part of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The IEO consists of nine centers: Madrid (headquarters), Vigo, A Coruña, Cádiz, Málaga, Gijón, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The research conducted at the Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo supports government advice and focuses on three core areas: aquaculture, marine and environmental protection, and fisheries.
Here, we will also investigate a current but little-researched environmental topic: How does artificial light at night (ALAN) affect the growth of epiphytes on macroalgae? Our experiment will take place directly at the coast, where urban light and natural darkness collide—an exciting setting for a question whose relevance grows with every illuminated city.
But why light – and why at night? Artificial light has become an integral part of our everyday lives. This is especially true along the coasts – where cities are growing, streetlights illuminate the night sky, and industrial plants operate around the clock. A look at satellite images of the Earth at night clearly shows it: Our coasts are glowing. And with each year, there are more lights – and they are getting brighter.
The impact of this constant lighting is well documented scientifically. ALAN – Artificial Light at Night – disrupts our natural day-night rhythms and influences the behaviour of numerous animal species. A classic example: newly hatched sea turtles. Instead of being guided by the moonlight towards the ocean, they often follow streetlights – and thus fatally end up on roads instead of in the water. Other species, however, seem to benefit from nighttime lighting: Certain sharks hunt more successfully under artificial light, because their prey is easier to spot.
And us humans? We, too, feel the effects. Not just through studies, but through personal experience. During our first few weeks in Vigo, there was a widespread power outage – across Spain, Portugal, and parts of France. It was 12:30 p.m. – and without a generator, suddenly nothing worked. Metro stations came to a standstill, traffic lights failed, and supermarkets could no longer refrigerate frozen goods. And at night? Suddenly, it was – really – dark. An event that made us reflect and reminded us once again how important light is—and how much we take it for granted. As beautiful as the starry sky above Vigo was that evening, the total darkness felt almost surreal. For us, it was an unusual experience—but for many organisms, this natural darkness is vital and is becoming increasingly rare. What seemed like an exception to us is a disappearing norm for a lot of animals and plants.
Species that are not so charismatic are quickly forgotten in this context. For example, the inconspicuous epiphytes – small growing photoautotropic organisms like unicellular microalgae or small filamentous macroalgae that colonize larger macroalgae and other solid surfaces. They make significant contributions to the services of marine benthic ecosystems by binding CO₂, stabilizing communities and providing food. At the same time, they also impair the performance of their hosts by reducing their access to light, CO2 and nutrients. Hence, a change in their abundances can have far-reaching consequences for benthic ecosystems. Yet, little is known about how they respond to artificial light at night.
There was already a GAME project in Vigo during which field experiments were conducted, but with a different scientific focus for which artificial light at night was not relevant. They were situated at the same location for which we had also received approval. Thus, we were relatively quickly confronted with the first hurdles in scientific field research – which many people don’t even realize!
The problem is that Marina Davila is located directly next to an industrial port, or rather, a large car transfer point, which is illuminated all night long with gigantic lights. It’s probably the brightest place in all of Galicia. Bad for our experimental control group, which was supposed to be in complete darkness at night. So, we spent the first week wandering around various harbor areas in the area at night, measuring the background illumination in order to find a better place for our experiments.
Fig. 10: Where was our study site supposed to be? We can show you! Right there (upper picture)! The brightest spot in the port. At a closer look all the cars that will be transported around the world are visible as well (lower picture). Photo: Anna 2025.
Thanks to the friendly harbourmaster at Marina Davila, we found a darker spot with even less wave exposure. However, we’re dealing with a tidal range of 4 meters, which could be tricky and is something we should keep in mind while planning our experimental setup.
Great! That was the first trick – and the second will follow quick.
Next, we need to find a suitable algae species and conduct initial trials – so-called pilot studies. This will allow us to determine the best options for our location and get a feel for the handling of the organisms, materials, and analytical methods.
Eva supports us wherever she can. As part of her own research, which focuses on plastic pollution in the ocean, we are able to accompany her one morning to the rocky bay near the institute. We were able to find different species of algae and marine organisms at low tide and also collect potential macroalgae for our project. However, the two more common Laminaria species here – Laminaria hyperborea or Laminaria ochroleuca – are difficult to distinguish from each other at a young age.
These were deployed the next day, along with other algae fragments, at our harbour site in a preliminary test. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed that our setup holds and that it doesn’t get washed away… or even eaten by fish or invertebrate grazers.
So, everything remains exciting.
In any case, we’re ready to diligently tinker and by this solve any problems that arise in the coming weeks.
Anna & Verena
Coral reefs are beautiful, vibrant ecosystems and a cornerstone of a healthy ocean. Often called the “rainforests of the sea,” they support an extraordinary diversity of marine life from fish and crustaceans to mollusks, sea turtles and more. Although reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, they provide critical habitat for roughly 25% of all ocean species.
Coral reefs are also essential to human wellbeing. These structures reduce the force of waves before they reach shore, providing communities with vital protection from extreme weather such as hurricanes and cyclones. It is estimated that reefs safeguard hundreds of millions of people in more than 100 countries.
What is coral bleaching?
A key component of coral reefs are coral polyps—tiny soft bodied animals related to jellyfish and anemones. What we think of as coral reefs are actually colonies of hundreds to thousands of individual polyps. In hard corals, these tiny animals produce a rigid skeleton made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The calcium carbonate provides a hard outer structure that protects the soft parts of the coral. These hard corals are the primary building blocks of coral reefs, unlike their soft coral relatives that don’t secrete any calcium carbonate.
Coral reefs get their bright colors from tiny algae called zooxanthellae. The coral polyps themselves are transparent, and they depend on zooxanthellae for food. In return, the coral polyp provides the zooxanethellae with shelter and protection, a symbiotic relationship that keeps the greater reefs healthy and thriving.
When corals experience stress, like pollution and ocean warming, they can expel their zooxanthellae. Without the zooxanthellae, corals lose their color and turn white, a process known as coral bleaching. If bleaching continues for too long, the coral reef can starve and die.
Ocean warming and coral bleaching
Human-driven stressors, especially ocean warming, threaten the long-term survival of coral reefs. An alarming 77% of the world’s reef areas are already affected by bleaching-level heat stress.
The Great Barrier Reef is a stark example of the catastrophic impacts of coral bleaching. The Great Barrier Reef is made up of 3,000 reefs and is home to thousands of species of marine life. In 2025, the Great Barrier Reef experienced its sixth mass bleaching since 2016. It should also be noted that coral bleaching events are a new thing because of ocean warming, with the first documented in 1998.
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How you can help
The planet is changing rapidly, and the stakes have never been higher. The ocean has absorbed roughly 90% of the excess heat caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and the consequences, including coral die-offs, are already visible. With just 2℃ of planetary warming, global coral reef losses are estimated to be up to 99% — and without significant change, the world is on track for 2.8°C of warming by century’s end.
To stop coral bleaching, we need to address the climate crisis head on. A recent study from Scripps Institution of Oceanography was the first of its kind to include damage to ocean ecosystems into the economic cost of climate change – resulting in nearly a doubling in the social cost of carbon. This is the first time the ocean was considered in terms of economic harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions, despite the widespread degradation to ocean ecosystems like coral reefs and the millions of people impacted globally.
This is why Ocean Conservancy advocates for phasing out harmful offshore oil and gas and transitioning to clean ocean energy. In this endeavor, Ocean Conservancy also leads international efforts to eliminate emissions from the global shipping industry—responsible for roughly 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year.
But we cannot do this work without your help. We need leaders at every level to recognize that the ocean must be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Reach out to your elected officials and demand ocean-climate action now.
The post What is Coral Bleaching and Why is it Bad News for Coral Reefs? appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
What is Coral Bleaching and Why is it Bad News for Coral Reefs?
From the chilly corners of the polar seas to the warm waters of the tropics, our ocean is bursting with spectacular creatures. This abundance of biodiversity can be seen throughout every depth of the sea: Wildlife at every ocean zone have developed adaptations to thrive in their unique environments, and in the deep sea, these adaptations are truly fascinating.
Enter: the snipe eel.
What Does a Snipe Eel Look Like?
These deep-sea eels have a unique appearance. Snipe eels have long, slim bodies like other eels, but boast the distinction of having 700 vertebrae—the most of any animal on Earth. While this is quite a stunning feature, their heads set them apart in even more dramatic fashion. Their elongated, beak-like snouts earned them their namesake, strongly resembling that of a snipe (a type of wading shorebird). For similar reasons, these eels are also sometimes called deep-sea ducks or thread fish.
How Many Species of Snipe Eel are There?
There are nine documented species of snipe eels currently known to science, with the slender snipe eel (Nemichthys scolopaceus) being the most studied. They are most commonly found 1,000 to 2,000 feet beneath the surface in tropical to temperate areas around the world, but sightings of the species have been documented at depths exceeding 14,000 feet (that’s more than two miles underwater)!
How Do Snipe Eels Hunt and Eat?
A snipe eel’s anatomy enables them to be highly efficient predators. While their exact feeding mechanisms aren’t fully understood, it’s thought that they wiggle through the water while slinging their beak-like heads back and forth with their mouths wide open, catching prey from within the water column (usually small invertebrates like shrimp) on their hook-shaped teeth.
How Can Snipe Eels Thrive So Well in Dark Depths of the Sea?
Snipe eels’ jaws aren’t the only adaptation that allows them to thrive in the deep, either. They also have notably large eyes designed to help them see nearby prey or escape potential predators as efficiently as possible. Their bodies are also pigmented a dark grey to brown color, a coloring that helps them stay stealthy and blend into dark, dim waters. Juveniles are even harder to spot than adults; like other eel species, young snipe eels begin their lives as see-through and flat, keeping them more easily hidden from predators as they mature.
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How Much Do Scientists Really Know About Snipe Eels?
Residence in the deep sea makes for a fascinating appearance, but it also makes studying animals like snipe eels challenging. Scientists are still learning much about the biology of these eels, including specifics about their breeding behaviors. While we know snipe eels are broadcast spawners (females release eggs into the water columns at the same time as males release sperm) and they are thought to only spawn once, researchers are still working to understand if they spawn in groups or pairs. Beyond reproduction, there’s much that science has yet to learn about these eels.
Are Snipe Eels Endangered?
While the slender snipe eel is currently classified as “Least Concern” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, what isn’t currently known is whether worldwide populations are growing or decreasing. And in order to know how to best protect these peculiar yet equally precious creatures, it’s essential we continue to study them while simultaneously working to protect the deep-sea ecosystems they depend on.
How Can We Help Protect Deep-Sea Species Like Snipe Eels?
One thing we can do to protect the deep sea and the wildlife that thrive within it is to advocate against deep-sea mining and the dangers that accompany it. This type of mining extracts mineral deposits from the ocean floor and has the potential to result in disastrous environmental consequences. Take action with Ocean Conservancy today and urge your congressional representative to act to stop deep-sea mining—animals like snipe eels and all the amazing creatures of the deep are counting on us to act before it’s too late.
The post What is a Snipe Eel? appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
Today, we’re getting in the winter spirit by spotlighting five remarkable marine animals that depend on cold and icy environments to thrive.
1. Narwhals
Narwhals are often called the “unicorns of the sea” because of their long, spiraled tusk. Here are a few more fascinating facts about them:
- Believe it or not, their tusk is actually a tooth used for sensing their environment and sometimes for sparring.
- Narwhals are whales. While many whale species migrate south in the winter, narwhals spend their entire lives in the frigid waters of the circumpolar Arctic near Canada, Greenland and Russia.
- Sea ice provides narwhals with protection as they travel through unfamiliar waters.
2. Walruses
Walruses are another beloved Arctic species with remarkable adaptations for surviving the cold:
- Walruses stay warm with a thick layer of blubber that insulates their bodies from icy air and water.
- Walruses can slow their heart rate to conserve energy and withstand freezing temperatures both in and out of the water.
- Walruses use sea ice to rest between foraging dives. It also provides a vital and safe platform for mothers to nurse and care for their young.
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3. Polar Bears
Polar bears possess several unique traits that help them thrive in the icy Arctic:
- Although polar bear fur appears white, each hair is hollow and transparent, reflecting light much like ice.
- Beneath their thick coats, polar bears have black skin that absorbs heat from the sun. This helps keep polar bears warm in their icy habitat.
- Polar bears rely on sea ice platforms to access their primary prey, seals, which they hunt at breathing holes in the ice.
4. Penguins
Penguins are highly adapted swimmers that thrive in icy waters, but they are not Arctic animals:
- Penguins live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, mainly Antarctica, meaning they do not share the frigid northern waters with narwhals, walruses and polar bears.
- Penguins spend up to 75% of their lives in the water and are built for efficient aquatic movement.
- Sea ice provides a stable platform for nesting and incubation, particularly for species like the Emperor penguin, which relies on sea ice remaining intact until chicks are old enough to fledge.
5. Seals
Seals are a diverse group of carnivorous marine mammals found in both polar regions:
- There are 33 seal species worldwide, with some living in the Arctic and others in the Antarctic.
- There are two groups of seals: Phocidae (true seals) and Otariidae (sea lions and fur seals). The easiest way to tell seals and sea lions apart is by their ears: true seals have ear holes with no external flaps, while sea lions and fur seals have small external ear flaps.
- Seals need sea ice for critical life functions including pupping, nursing and resting. They also use ice for molting—a process in which they shed their fur in the late spring or early summer.
Defend the Central Arctic Ocean Action
Some of these cold-loving animals call the North Pole home, while others thrive in the polar south. No matter where they live, these marine marvels rely on sea ice for food, safety, movement and survival.
Unfortunately, a rapidly changing climate is putting critical polar ecosystems, like the Central Arctic Ocean, at risk. That is why Ocean Conservancy is fighting to protect the Central Arctic Ocean from threats like carbon shipping emissions, deep-sea mining and more. Take action now to help us defend the Central Arctic Ocean.
Learn more
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The post 5 Animals That Need Sea Ice to Thrive appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
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