Ivy Frenger

Ivy Frenger is a Research Group Leader in the Research Unit Biogeochemical Modelling at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. She leads the ERC Starting Grant (ERCStG) OSTIA project, focusing on the ocean's role in mitigating climate change and understanding the legacy of anthropogenic heat and carbon under net-negative emissions. Her research integrates ocean dynamics, biogeochemistry, and climate modelling, with a particular emphasis on mesoscale eddies, carbon cycling, and upwelling systems.

• Ph.D., ETH Zurich, 2013
• M.Sc., University of Hamburg & Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, 2009
• B.Sc., University of Hamburg, 2005

Her research interests span ocean biogeochemistry, marine carbon cycling, mesoscale ocean eddies, climate system dynamics, Earth system modelling, and ocean-atmosphere interactions. She investigates how ocean processes such as eddies and upwelling influence carbon sequestration, ecosystem functioning, and climate feedbacks, particularly in eastern boundary upwelling systems like the Humboldt and Canary Currents.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong focus on biogeochemical modelling, climate change impacts, and ocean dynamics. Key themes include the marine biological carbon pump, ocean deoxygenation, eddy-driven ecosystems, mixed layer processes, and Earth system model development. Her work frequently appears in high-impact journals such as Nature Geoscience, Global Change Biology, and Geophysical Research Letters.

• ERC Starting Grant (OSTIA, 2024–2029)
• DFG Project CHOICE (2024–2027)
• BMBF Project Humboldt-Tipping II (2023–2025)

Dr. Frenger has contributed to teaching as a co-lecturer and teaching assistant in courses on marine biogeochemical modelling and climate systems. She has developed and shared open-source software for tracking ocean mesoscale eddies. Her collaborative research involves extensive work with Earth system models and observational data synthesis. She has not received individual scientific awards listed in the text but leads competitively funded projects, indicating strong recognition in her field.

She leads a research group and collaborates widely within GEOMAR and internationally, contributing to large model intercomparison projects and interdisciplinary ocean research initiatives.