Marine Geochemistry Group

The Max Planck Research Group for Marine Geochemistry was established at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg) in September 2008 in a collaborative effort with the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology. The instrumental highlight of the group is an ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometer (15 Tesla Fourier-Transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, FT-ICR-MS) making it a unique analytical facility in the marine sciences.

Main research focus of the group is dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the ocean. The ocean is one of the largest carbon reservoirs on Earth. Dissolved organic matter alone contains a similar amount of carbon as all living biomass in the ocean and on land combined. Even though marine DOM is mainly of microbial origin, its turnover in the ocean is remarkably slow. Dissolved organic matter has accumulated in the ocean over thousands of years, and the controlling mechanisms behind its turnover and cycling are largely unknown. Advanced molecular techniques, in particular ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, are used in the research group to obtain answers to the fundamental questions regarding the cycling of organic matter in the oceans.

Why do we need ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry for our research?

It is the most powerful technique to molecularly characterize complex organic mixtures, such as DOM, petroleum or humic substances, whose composition is still largely unknown. We can determine the mass of an individual molecule within the mixture with a precision of one ten-thousandth Dalton, which is less than the mass of an electron. This precision is required to identify individual molecules in seawater. Worldwide, there are only five of these powerful mass spectrometers.

Why is our research group located in Oldenburg?

This location is ideal for us, mainly because of the geochemical expertise at the ICBM. We established an excellent cooperation with the geochemistry and microbiology groups of the ICBM. Via the intranet, we are in permanent contact with the Max Planck Institute and it is just a one-hour drive to the institute.