The complex interactions between organisms and their environment are the focus of the University of Oldenburg’s biodiversity and marine research. A key question in this project is how global environmental changes caused by humans impact the diversity and functioning of ecosystems. Researchers from Oldenburg have been involved in the University of Bremen’s Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence since 2019. The two universities plan to pool their expertise in a new joint cluster and learn more about the role of the ocean floor in material cycles and about biodiversity under changing climatic conditions. This knowledge will also provide a scientific basis for measures to protect and ensure sustainable use of the oceans.