University Society event: Arctic ice is melting: what does this mean for marine ecosystems?

On Wednesday 17 June 2026 at 7.00 pm, Prof. Dr Dieter Piepenburg from the Institute for Ecosystem Research at Kiel University will speak on a topic that is becoming increasingly important for us in the face of climate change. The title of his lecture is: “Arctic ice is melting: What does this mean for marine ecosystems?”

Large parts of the Arctic Ocean are covered by “permanent” ice – this old school adage is losing its validity at an unexpected rate. Nowhere on Earth are the effects of global climate change more evident than in the high northern latitudes. Arctic sea ice is melting, and at a much faster rate than predicted: not in the next century or the one after that, but in around 30 years’ time, (almost) the entire Arctic Ocean could be ice-free during the summer! The ecological significance of this upheaval can hardly be overestimated. A fundamental finding of marine research in recent decades has been that sea ice not only constitutes a unique habitat in its own right, but is also of great direct or indirect importance to other marine habitats in the open water and even on the seabed. It is therefore certain that its disappearance will have a fundamental impact on all life in the Arctic seas. The lecture will outline what science knows about the overall ecological significance of sea ice and what changes can be expected as a result of its rapid decline in the Arctic.

The lecture will take place at the Schleswig-Holstein Artists’ House, Ottestraße 1, 24340 Eckernförde.
Admission: Non-members €5. Free for members of all sections, school pupils, students and trainees
Doors open: from 6.30 pm