On August 30, 2026, GEOMAR opened its doors to the public from 11 am to 5 pm at its Ostufer (Seefischmarkt) location. Numerous visitors had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes, ask questions, marvel, touch, listen - and experience the diversity of ocean research at our institution. Information booths, presentations, heavy equipment, new construction, the library, a view of the fjord: it’s all here.
During our reading sessions from the children's books 'The Conference of Marine Inhabitants' and 'Plastic in the Ocean' (Author: Dr. Hassan Humeida), we were able to win the hearts of our youngest visitors. We enjoyed explaining the global problem of marine littering to them in simple terms and encouraging them to use plastic materials consciously.
The Open Day at GEOMAR is part of the district festival “AHOI Ostufer: Fish, Research and Pleasure.”Further information is available here.
The "Open Ship – ALKOR" event took place on June 26, 2026, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm as part of The Kiel Week. Around 2,000 people of various ages attended the event, which was organized by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. Visitors from diverse communities and participants from the Central Education and Counseling Center for Migrants (ZBBS) and the Center for Empowerment and Intercultural Creativity (ZEIK). International groups from Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Ghana, Togo, and the Congo also took part. One challenge during the event was the very hot weather, but the team stayed cool and turned this event into a full success.
Confocal laser scanning microscopy image of the plastisphere collected from plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean. The image shows the biological components that coexist in close proximity within the plastisphere: green – bacteria, blue – algae, red – extracellular sugar matrix, white – fungal hyphae. Photo: Dr Thomas Neu / UFZ
A Helmholtz research team is investigating a new ecosystem on plastic particles in the oceans
Plastic pollution is a global problem. It damages ecosystems, endangers animals, and in the form of nanoplastic particles can also have consequences for human health. A global agreement to regulate plastic pollution is therefore long overdue. However plastic particles have also become a new habitat for bacteria, viruses, fungi, and algae. The ecological significance of this ‘plastisphere’ for natural communities is the subject of numerous research projects. In this study, for example, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have examined bacterial metagenomes. The results show that the genomes of microbes in the plastisphere are larger and contain more gene copies associated with functional processes than those of marine plankton. This adaption ensures their survival, the researchers write in Environmental Pollution.
![[Translate to English:] Tag der offenen Tür 2026](/fileadmin/content/forschen/fb3/ms/outreach/Tag_der_offenen_T%C3%BCr_2026.jpg)
