Young researchers honoured for outstanding theses

This year, the Annette Barthelt Award will be presented for the 38^th time at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel – an award that commemorates the victims of a terrorist attack in the African port city of Djibouti on 18 March 1987. Four young researchers from Kiel – Annette Barthelt, Daniel Reinschmidt, Marco Buchalla, and Hans-Wilhelm Halbeisen – had travelled to Africa to take part in an expedition with the research vessel METEOR in the Indian Ocean. They were sitting on the terrace of a local restaurant when a bomb exploded. The deaths of the scientists in Djibouti prompted the establishment of the Annette Barthelt Foundation in 1988, which has since awarded annual prizes to recognise outstanding achievements by early-career marine scientists.

“The award-winning research on physical, biological, and chemical processes demonstrates the diversity of marine science at GEOMAR. These contributions significantly enhance our understanding of the ocean. We are proud to honour, for the first time, three female scientists who completed their research at GEOMAR,” said Professor Dr Katja Matthes, Director of GEOMAR.

“The recipients of this year's Annette Barthelt Award are outstanding examples of the potential within the next generation of marine researchers,” said Professor Dr Arne Körtzinger, Chairman of the Annette Barthelt Foundation, at the award ceremony. “Their work provides deep insights into the complex interactions between the ocean, climate, and biological processes. It is a pleasure to recognise their achievements and to support their research.”

The Annette Barthelt Prize Winners 2025:

Dr Mareike Körner completed her PhD thesis, “Physical drivers of seasonal variability in the tropical Angolan upwelling system” in March 2024 in the department of Physical Oceanography. She was supervised by Prof. Dr Peter Brandt and Prof. Dr Stefan Juricke. Mareike Körner studied the ocean dynamics in the upwelling region off the coast of Angola in the tropical South Atlantic. Her research provides valuable insights into currents, temperature, nutrients, and turbulent mixing, which are crucial for improving predictions of biological productivity in this economically important region. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University, USA.

Dr Vanessa Stenvers defended her PhD in Marine Ecology in December 2024 with her thesis, “Midwater invertebrates in the deep ocean: Adaptations, interactions and impacts of stressors”. Her supervisors were Dr Henk-Jan Hoving, Dr Karen Osborn, and Dr Helena Hauss. Vanessa Stenvers investigated the adaptations and interactions of gelatinous organisms and amphipods (small crustaceans) in the deep sea. She demonstrated the effects of global warming and deep-sea mining on these organisms. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at GEOMAR.

Juliane Katharina Tammen was recognised for her Master's thesis, “Mapping Nutrient Regimes through the South Pacific via Assessment of Phytoplankton Photophysiology”, which she completed in March 2023 in Biogeochemistry. She was supervised by Prof. Dr Eric Achterberg and Dr Thomas Browning. Her research investigated the effects of nutrient limitation on the photophysiology of phytoplankton in the subtropical South Pacific. By analysing the active fluorescence of phytoplankton, she identified nitrogen and iron limitation. Juliane Tammen is currently a PhD student at GEOMAR.

Funding:

The Annette Barthelt Prize includes a research grant of 6,000 euros, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which this year was divided into 2,000 euros each.