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  • Pages
  • Editions
01 Cover
02 Contents
03 Aims
04 Mission
05 Vision
06 Science
07 Tools
08 People
09 Core values

Our Science

Sea research from climate to biodiversity

Understanding how the marine systems change, involves quantifying and understanding possible trends.

The overarching research questions at NIOZ are related to understanding how marine systems work, how they are changing due to anthropogenic and natural impacts, and what benefits can be obtained from them in a sustainable manner. We improve process knowledge across different time and space scales ­– from past to present to future, from nanoseconds to millennia and beyond, from the tropics to polar regions, from the surface to the seafloor, from the deltas and coasts to the deep sea and from single molecules to entire ecosystems. Understanding how the marine systems change, involves quantifying and understanding possible trends and changes, and how these may be amplified by feedbacks. How we can utilize the marine systems, depends on our understanding and predictive capability.

We improve process knowledge across different time and space scales.

The current climate and biodiversity crises are the most important anthropogenic influences on marine systems. They both impose large-scale changes in global ocean processes. Climate and biodiversity are therefore an institute-wide focus of our research, fostering scientific collaboration and connecting NIOZ research to society. Climate and biodiversity inherently interact, and important scientific questions arise at their nexus.

We want to find solutions for society that mitigate climate change impacts on marine systems.

Our research focuses on:

  • Characterizing the still hidden and unexplored sides of marine systems to learn about the origin and diversification of life, the functioning of marine ecosystems and the diversity of organisms and biomolecules.
  • Unravelling the components, nature and functioning of element and nutrient cycles that sustain and replenish marine life.
  • Understanding how marine ecosystems are connected in space and time through physical and biogeochemical forces from ocean currents to sediment movement shaping habitats and species communities.

  • Understanding how organisms interact, respond and adapt to a changing marine environment under anthropogenic pressures.
  • Defining the physical, biological and chemical processes that characterize the role of the ocean in our global changing climate.
  • Finding solutions for society that mitigate climate change impacts on marine systems and finding adaptations and solutions to ensure our safety, health and wellbeing.

The current climate and biodiversity crises are the most important anthropogenic influences on marine systems.

NIOZ is an independent research institute and part of the institute organization of NWO (the Dutch Research Council), NWO-I. Our base funding from NWO-I covers roughly 50-60% of our total costs and we supplement this by addressing primarily fundamental research funding opportunities within NWO and the EU (European Research Council and Horizon Europe). Within NWO, we obtain funding for blue-sky research through personal grants and open calls, and we take part in Knowledge and Innovation Programmes (KIC, Knowledge and Innovation Convenant) and those of the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA). We perform third party funded projects when they align with our strategic questions.