From microscopic organisms to large fish, birds and marine mammals, our researchers study everything that lives in the ocean and in the seabed. We count, monitor and discover species, study behaviour and investigate how biodiversity is linked to ecosystem functioning. We look at what long-term changes have occurred in specific regions or ecosystems, and what drives these changes. This enables us to model future developments. We also study genetic diversity within and between species, how they evolved, and what this tells us about the origins of the tree of life.Â