Katha Paetz

Katha Paetz, M.Sc., is a researcher at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), affiliated with the Marine Algae Ecology and Applications Research Group under the Sustainable Marine Bioeconomy program. Her work focuses on understanding the ecological roles of microorganisms associated with the brown pelagic alga Sargassum, particularly their contributions to nutrient cycling, decomposition, and bioethanol production from marine biomass.

Her research project, SargBiome, investigates microbial biodiversity on healthy and decomposing Sargassum, their potential for nitrogen fixation and iron chelation, and the isolation of marine yeasts capable of efficient bioethanol fermentation. This work has implications for both marine ecology and sustainable blue economy applications.

She is based at the AWI campus in Bremerhaven, Germany, and her research integrates field sampling, laboratory experiments, and metagenomic analysis to address critical gaps in understanding Sargassum dynamics in oligotrophic oceans.