Matthias Haeckel

Matthias Haeckel is a Senior Scientist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany, affiliated with the Research Division 2: Marine Biogeochemistry and the research unit Marine Geosystems. He has held this position since 2005 and is actively involved in leading and contributing to major international research initiatives focused on marine biogeochemical cycles, deep-sea processes, and environmental sustainability.

Research interests include marine biogeochemical cycles and early diagenesis, methane dynamics in marine environments (gas hydrates, cold seeps, mud volcanoes), fluid and gas transport in sediments, environmental impacts of deep-sea mining, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and microplastic pollution. His work integrates numerical transport-reaction and thermodynamic modeling, analysis of porewater and sediment data from global research cruises, and high-pressure laboratory experiments using Raman and NMR spectroscopy.

The publication trends show a strong focus on environmental impacts of deep-sea mining, carbon dioxide storage in marine sediments, and methane hydrate systems. His recent work emphasizes sustainability, climate change mitigation, and ecosystem conservation, with a multidisciplinary approach combining geochemistry, modeling, and field observations.

• Feodor Lynen Postdoctoral Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Matthias Haeckel has advised multiple PhD and Master’s students, including Schreiber, Lukas; Legoix, Ludovic; and Vielstädte, Lisa. He has secured and led numerous research grants, including MiningImpact, GEOSTOR, SUGAR, ECO2, and MIDAS, funded by national and international agencies. His research cruises span the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans, focusing on gas hydrates, CO₂ seepage, and deep-sea mining sites.

He is actively involved in teaching, offering courses such as Modeling of Biogeochemical Processes I+II and a literature seminar on Marine Geosystems within the Master’s programs in Geosciences and Marine Geosciences. He leads a research group that includes postdoctoral researchers (Deusner, Christian; Kossel, Elke) and a technician (Nau, Philipp), fostering a collaborative and interdisciplinary team environment.