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A deep dive into ocean research

Bremen's new Senator for the Environment, Dr. Henrike Müller, visits MARUM

Dec 19, 2025
Group photo in front of MARUM MeBo200. From left: Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther, Rector of the University of Bremen, Henrike Müller, Senator for Environment, Climate, and Science of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, MARUM Director, Prof. Dr. Elda Miramontes, and Dr. Sira Groscurth, Transfer Officers at MARUM. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Group photo in front of MARUM MeBo200. From left: Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther, Rector of the University of Bremen, Henrike Müller, Senator for Environment, Climate, and Science of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, MARUM Director, Prof. Dr. Elda Miramontes, and Dr. Sira Groscurth, Transfer Officers at MARUM. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen

Together with Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther, Rector of the University of Bremen, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Director of MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen, welcomed the new Bremen Senator for Environment, Climate, and Science, Dr. Henrike Müller, and Karolina Kumar, State Secretary for Science. Just a few weeks after taking office, the senator took the opportunity to visit one of the leading university research centers for marine sciences, which contributes significantly to Bremen's impressive role in marine research.

 

During a tour of the workshops and laboratories, the guests gained insights into MARUM's technical equipment. They saw state-of-the-art large-scale equipment such as the MARUM MeBo200 seafloor drilling rig, which collects sediment cores from the ocean floor during expeditions. A total of over 193 kilometers of sediment cores are archived in the Bremen core repository. Samples from all the world's oceans are analyzed in the associated special laboratories.

Afterwards, the senator, the state secretary, Jolita Rolf, and Mareike Meyer (both from the Senatorial Authority for Environment, Climate, and Science) exchanged views with Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Prof. Dr. Elda Miramontes, and Dr. Sira Groscurth from MARUM, as well as the rector, about the current and future role of MARUM in German marine research, knowledge transfer in schools, politics, and society, and the continuation of the Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Interface.” This will start at the beginning of next year, now in cooperation with the University of Oldenburg.

The visit underscored the importance of close exchange between politics and science—especially when it comes to researching the oceans and protecting them for future generations.

 
Prof. Dr. Elda Miramontes showed a drill core in the Bremen drill core repository and explained the archiving process. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; J. Nitsch

Prof. Dr. Elda Miramontes showed a drill core in the Bremen drill core repository and explained the archiving process. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; J. Nitsch

Prof. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs in conversation with Senator Dr. Henrike Müller and University Rector Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; S. Groscurth

Prof. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs in conversation with Senator Dr. Henrike Müller and University Rector Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; S. Groscurth

Group photo at the Bremen core repository. From left: Dr. Sira Groscurth, Transfer Officer at MARUM, Karolina Kumar, State Secretary for Science, Dr. Henrike Müller, Senator for Environment, Climate, and Science of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, MARUM Director, Prof. Dr. Elda Miramontes, Deputy Director at MARUM, Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther, Rector of the University of Bremen. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; J. Nitsch

Group photo at the Bremen core repository. From left: Dr. Sira Groscurth, Transfer Officer at MARUM, Karolina Kumar, State Secretary for Science, Dr. Henrike Müller, Senator for Environment, Climate, and Science of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, MARUM Director, Prof. Dr. Elda Miramontes, Deputy Director at MARUM, Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther, Rector of the University of Bremen. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; J. Nitsch