Professor Boris Koch of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) presented in Potsdam a scientific contribution exploring the links between climate change, terrestrial organic carbon, and pollutant pathways in the Central Arctic Ocean Professor Boris P. Koch, from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), partner in the ONE-BLUE consortium, took part in the Arctic System Science Conference 2026, held from 23 to 27 March 2026 in Potsdam, Germany, where he presented research on tracing terrestrial dissolved organic carbon and contaminants in the Central Arctic Ocean.
The conference brought together the international scientific community to discuss the rapid transformation of the Arctic system from a multidisciplinary perspective.
The contribution, entitled “Tracing Terrestrial Dissolved Organic Carbon and Contaminants in the Central Arctic Ocean Using Direct Seawater Analysis”, was co-authored by an international research team and also includes Marta Llorca and Marinella Farré, from the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). The study examines how global warming may increase the input of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon and contaminants into the Central Arctic Ocean, with potential effects on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. The research applies an innovative analytical approach for the direct analysis of dissolved organic matter in seawater and for the detection of anthropogenic contaminants of emerging concern.
In addition to presenting this scientific contribution, Boris Koch chaired two sessions of the conference’s official programme on the morning of 26 March: “Ocean Dynamics, Tracers, and Biogeochemical Cycles” and “Biodiversity, Species Distributions, and Ecological Networks.”
AWI’s participation in this international scientific event reinforces the visibility of the work carried out by ONE-BLUE partners on emerging contaminants and their interaction with climate change in particularly sensitive regions such as the Arctic.