20 January 2026 / Kiel. The renewal of deep waters in the North Atlantic has slowed markedly over the past three decades. This is shown by a new study from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, now published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The study demonstrates that the “age” of water masses in the North Atlantic has been increasing continuously since the 1990s – an indication of a weakening of the Atlantic circulation system. The results suggest that this trend cannot be explained by natural variability alone, but instead represents a signal of anthropogenic climate change. A slowdown in ocean circulation has far-reaching consequences for climate regulation as well as for the ocean’s oxygen supply and its uptake of carbon.

Pūkeko use sound elements to create calls and combine them to create complex call sequences in order to expand the range of options for expressing themselves – these are the findings of an international team including Konstanz researchers. Until now, this behaviour had only been known in vocal learning animals, such as primates, whales or songbirds.

A new artificial intelligence (AI) method called BioPathNet helps researchers systematically search large biological data networks for hidden connections – from gene functions and disease mechanisms to potential therapeutic approaches. BioPathNet was developed by teams at Helmholtz Munich and Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute in Montreal, Canada. The researchers are now presenting the method in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.