The Excellence Cluster “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface” entered its second funding period in January 2026. It is one of the world’s leading hubs for marine Earth-system research and investigates the role of the ocean floor as a dynamic interface within the Earth system, with a focus on carbon cycling, biodiversity, and environmental change.
The Cluster operates across Bremen and Oldenburg, with the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg as core partners. Participating institutions include MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (Bremen), the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM, Oldenburg), the Alfred Wegener Institute (Bremerhaven), Constructor University (Bremen), the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Bremen), the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (Bremen), the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (Delmenhorst), and the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (Oldenburg).
The Cluster integrates geology, geophysics, geochemistry, marine biology, paleobiology, microbiology, ecology, and Earth-system modeling, combining field-based research, molecular methods, advanced technologies, and data-driven synthesis to understand past, present, and future ocean-floor processes.

(Planned) Support Activities for Postdocs

Workshops & Trainings | Annual Retreats | Mentoring Schemes | Individualised Personal Career Development Plans | Visiting Fellowships | Postdoc Involvement in Cluster Governance | Networking Events | Support for and Encouragement of Science Communication Activities | Supervision Workshops | Individual Coaching Offers

Recruiting

Open positions are listed on the websites of the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg.

Find out more

The Cluster’s website and other communication channels are currently under development.