Underwater Technologies

develop & apply

MARUM has set itself the goal of gaining fundamental scientific knowledge about the ocean and the seabed in the interests of society and a healthy marine environment. We are driven by this commitment and the increasingly complex questions that need to be answered. To help answer these questions, we are constantly working to improve our operational systems. In order to be prepared for the developments and questions of tomorrow, we are already researching new and sustainable technologies and methods today to better observe, sample and monitor our oceans now and in the future.

Specific questions that arise are:

How can we develop sustainable observation technologies from the sea surface to the deep sea?
How can we enable persistent, robust and autonomous monitoring of dynamic processes?
Which new technologies in the areas of sensor technology, sampling and data processing need to be adapted or newly developed?

To answer these questions, we develop and test new robotic systems from scratch or adapt existing systems for a specific use.

Working groups involved

Visualization of a hydrodynamic analysis of a new autonomous underwater vehicle. (Copyright P.Riesen/MARUM) — Visualization of a hydrodynamic analysis of a new autonomous underwater vehicle. ( P. Riesen/MARUM)

Selection of current research projects

SPIRULA

SPiraling Intelligent Robotic Underwater monitoring pLAtform

Slider camera system

Camera module for seabed observation with underwater glider

Latest news

Showing 5-8 of 72 items.

A glimpse into the climate archive Ocean floor: Young visitors can view microfossils under a microscope. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; U. Prange

Sep 8, 2025

Hands-on experiments on climate and the environment in Bürgerpark

“Future STEM” is the topic of this year's Explore Science, which the Klaus Tschira Foundation is hosting in Bremen's Bürgerpark from September 11 to 13, ...

Diver in front of a BlueDOT sensor. Calibration dive sites are now installed on costa brava (Spain) and on Gozo (Malta). Photo: BlueDOT, Christophe Galerne

Jul 21, 2025

Researching Heat Waves in the Ocean: Divers Collect Temperature Data

With the help of divers, the BlueDOT project is collecting temperature data from the ocean. The aim is to better track changes in ocean temperature and ...

Ballast testing is the first step: the team place the SPIRULA vehicle in shallow water, adjusting its position and buoyancy by adding or removing weight. “It’s important that the vehicle lies horizontally in the water and that it’s slightly buoyant,” says project leader Ralf Bachmayer (front). Photo: Werner Siemens-Stiftung; Oliver Lang Fotografie, Lenzburg

Jul 18, 2025

SPIRULA takes a successful dive in the Aegean Sea

In May, the deep-sea monitoring system SPIRULA embarked on its inaugural expedition in ocean waters. The test off the Greek island of Milos in the Aegean ...

Prof. Kirsten Tracht, designated co-spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence “The Martian Mindset”; Prof. Michal Kucera, Vice President for Research and Transfer; Prof. Heiko Pälike, designated spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean Floor”; Prof. Jutta Günther, President of the University of Bremen; Prof. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Director of MARUM; Prof. Marc Avila, designated co-spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence “The Martian Mindset” (f.l.). Photo: Matej Meza / Universität Bremen

May 22, 2025

Historic Success: University of Bremen Acquires Funding for Two Clusters of Excellence for the First Time

Scientists from the marine and materials sciences impressed the German federal and state governments in the Excellence Strategy: Two Clusters of Excellence ...