Helena Osterholz

Dr. Helena Osterholz is a Senior Researcher and Co-Group Lead at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, specializing in aquatic biogeochemistry and marine chemistry. She focuses on dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics in freshwater and marine systems, particularly the Baltic Sea. Her work addresses anthropogenic impacts like ship emissions and coastal pollution. She leads projects such as PlumeBaSe, studying ship plume effects, and contributes to initiatives like the Study Group on Black Carbon in the Ocean.

Education:

• PhD (2014): Carl von Ossietzky University & Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
• MSc (2010): Marine Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University
• BSc (2007): Environmental Sciences, University of Bielefeld

Research Interests: Organic matter composition, coastal pollution dynamics, DOM-microbe interactions, and climate-driven ecosystem changes. Her work spans molecular-scale analyses of DOM to large-scale environmental monitoring (e.g., CoastDOM database).

Key Projects:

• PlumeBaSe: DFG-funded study on ship emission aerosols in the Baltic Sea
• Hydrographic-hydrochemical assessments of the Baltic Sea (2020–2023)
• Explorations of DOM persistence in deep groundwater systems

Scientific Contributions: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles on DOM biogeochemistry, microbial interactions, and anthropogenic impacts. Notable expeditions include RV Elisabeth Mann Borgese (EMB315, EMB347) and RV Sonne (SO305/2).

Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD students Tassiana Serafim and Jann Müller. Manages grants from DFG and collaborative projects with the University of Rostock and Charles University Prague.

Labs/Teams: Organic Trace Substances Group at the Leibniz Institute, contributing to marine analytics and data management initiatives.