Katharina Kniesz

Dr. Katharina Kniesz is a Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, working within the Ecology of Benthic Organisms group. She holds a PhD from the German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB) and Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg (2018-2024), with a focus on hydrothermal vent macrofauna. Since February 2024, she has been a Postdoc in the ArKoBi project investigating Arctica islandica's role in Baltic Sea carbon storage.

Her education includes a Master's (University of Hamburg, 2015-2018) and Bachelor's (2011-2015) in Biology, with research on deep-sea biodiversity and genetic diversity. Key research interests span benthic ecology, population genetics, and DNA barcoding of deep-sea and hydrothermal vent species.

Her work involves extensive marine expeditions, including cruises to the Central Indian Ridge and Baltic Sea, focusing on vent fauna connectivity, amphipod scavengers, and genetic analyses. Publications highlight contributions to Anatoma species discovery, vent habitat studies, and biodiversity informatics.

Kniesz has participated in over a dozen international research cruises since 2016, collaborating with institutions like BGR and Senckenberg. She actively presents at conferences such as the Symposium on Massive Sulfide Exploration and World Congress of Malacology.