Martin Visbeck

Martin Visbeck is a Professor of Physical Oceanography at Kiel University and Head of the Research Unit 'Physical Oceanography' at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. He also serves as an Adjunct Senior Research Scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University. Visbeck has held leadership positions including President of The Oceanography Society (2019-2020) and Speaker of the Kiel Excellence Cluster 'The Future Ocean' (2007-2017). His research spans physical oceanography and climate dynamics, with a focus on ocean circulation and its role in climate variability.

Visbeck's research interests focus on the role of the ocean in climate variability across multiple timescales, regional ocean circulation dynamics, deep water formation processes, and sustained ocean observations. His work particularly examines the North Atlantic Oscillation, Tropical Atlantic Climate Variability, Antarctic Bottom Water formation, and oxygen minimum zones. Through his leadership in major international projects like AtlantOS and the SFB754 research center, Visbeck has advanced our understanding of climate-biogeochemistry interactions in the tropical ocean and contributed significantly to the development of global ocean observing systems.

• Henry Stommel Research Medal (2019)
• AGU Fellow (2015)
• Member of the European Academy of Sciences (2015)
• CIMAS Visiting Scientist Award (2009)
• DEES Outstanding Teacher at Columbia University (1999)

Visbeck leads significant research initiatives including AtlantOS (Optimizing and Enhancing the Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System), RACE (Regional Atlantic Circulation and Global Change), and the SFB754 research center on Climate-Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean. His work has been supported by major funding agencies including the European Union, German Research Foundation (DFG), and German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). He has served as Chief Scientist on numerous research expeditions in the Atlantic Ocean, focusing on tropical and South Atlantic dynamics.

As Head of the Physical Oceanography Research Unit at GEOMAR, Visbeck oversees a team conducting observational and modeling research on ocean circulation and climate dynamics. His leadership extends internationally through roles in the World Climate Research Programme's CLIVAR project, the Joint Scientific Committee of WCRP, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, where he has been instrumental in shaping the global ocean research agenda.