Ilka Peeken

Dr. Ilka Peeken is a marine biologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), specializing in polar regions' biodiversity, climate change impacts, and plastic pollution. Her work focuses on sea ice ecosystems' biogeochemical processes, particularly the effects of declining sea ice on marine life and the role of microplastics in Arctic environments. She leads research on the MOSAiC expedition and the FRAM Pollution Observatory, investigating long-range transport of pollutants.

Research Interests: She studies sea ice algae, microplastic distribution, and ecological responses to climate change. Her work bridges biogeochemistry and environmental science, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understand Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. Recent projects include analyzing microplastics in sea ice and their implications for food webs.

Key Projects:

• Leading the FRAM Pollution Observatory to monitor marine litter and microplastics in the Fram Strait.
• Contributing to the MOSAiC expedition, studying Arctic Ocean ecosystems under changing ice conditions.
• Collaborating with AMAP to establish Arctic microplastic monitoring guidelines.

Lab Affiliations: Polar Biological Oceanography group at AWI, focusing on sea ice biology and environmental change impacts.