Helmuth Thomas

Prof. Dr. Helmuth Thomas is a full Professor at the University of Oldenburg and Director of the Institute for Carbon Cycles. His work focuses on marine biogeochemistry, the ocean’s carbon cycle, carbonate chemistry and climate-change mitigation through ocean-based carbon-dioxide removal.

Research interests span air–sea CO₂ exchange, ocean acidification, coastal and shelf-sea carbon processing, and the development of alkalinity-enhancement techniques for negative emissions. He combines observational campaigns in the North and Baltic Seas, Arctic shelves and fjords with numerical modelling to quantify carbon pools, fluxes and ecosystem responses.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal three dominant themes: (i) assessing engineered ocean alkalinisation and other CO₂ removal pathways, (ii) understanding natural controls on shelf-sea carbon uptake (e.g., tides, stoichiometry, glacial runoff), and (iii) evaluating biological responses such as microbial de-oxygenation feedbacks and contaminant bioaccumulation in rapidly changing Arctic waters.

Thomas has secured and coordinates large European projects, leads international working groups (e.g., SOLAS, IGBP, LOICZ) and regularly advises governments on blue-carbon policy. Although specific awards are not itemised, his extensive citation record and invitations to high-level policy papers indicate significant scientific recognition.

He heads the Carbon Cycles Institute at Oldenburg, supervising multiple post-docs, PhD and MSc researchers equipped with state-of-the-art carbonate-chemistry and modelling facilities. Future work is targeting scalable, verifiable marine carbon-dioxide removal and refined forecasting of coastal ocean acidification under continuing climate change.