The RD2 within the research strategy - from the ocean to the atmosphere

Test of an artificial upwelling pump south off the Canary Islands

Photo: Michael Sswat, GEOMAR

Biogeochemical Modelling

Icons and Concepts: Iris Kriest, GEOMAR // Drawings: Mariana Hill Cruz, GEOMAR
Photos: Sarah Lee, unsplash // Icons: apple

Technicians deploying the CTD into the South Pacific Ocean during cruise SO289

Photo: Nico Fröhberg, Constructor University Bremen

Sediment trap deployment during expedition S0305

Photo: Tjark Andersch, Hamburg University

Coring and sensor platforms for sampling and monitoring the ocean floor is transported on deck of RV POSEIDON to the deployment location in British North Sea

Photo: Peter Linke, GEOMAR

The RD2 Mission

The Research Division Marine Biogeochemistry studies interactions between sediment, oceanic, and atmospheric material reservoirs and the organisms including humans which impacts marine biogeochemical processes addressing the following overreaching research questions:

  • What are the impacts of climate change on marine biogeochemistry including feedbacks?
  • How do changes in marine communities alter biogeochemical processes?
  • What are the natural drivers of CO2 uptake and sequestration and what are options for enhancing marine CO2 removal?
  • How do human use and misuse of the ocean affect marine biogeochemistry and what are the options for remediation?

The scientific research of the four research units are embedded in the research program 'Changing Earth - Sustaining our Future', here mainly in topic 6, and the GEOMAR 2030 strategy with its Core Themes and Integrative Research Foci (IRFs).

The RD2 Core Areas: 4 Research Units

RD2 News

A young woman with a dark complexion and long black hair; she is wearing glasses and smiling warmly at the camera
05.06.2026

Data Analysis and Dragon Worlds: Amavi Silva

Showcasing Diversity: People at GEOMAR

A bearded man is leaning over a white pole jutting out from a jetty into the water, screwing a white box onto it.
04.06.2026

Smart Marinas: Data from the Harbour Basin

New sensor technology provides real-time information for sailors

A blue-and-red research vessel on calm waters
11.05.2026

Better life under protection?

ALKOR expedition AL652 investigates fish communities and algae in the Baltic Sea