The Pour le mérite Order is one of the most prestigious awards for science and the arts in Germany. The Grand Cross of Merit with Star is one of the highest state orders of the Federal Republic of Germany. Both awards underscore the international significance of Boetius’s research on the polar regions and the oceans, as well as her longstanding contribution to academic work. Antje Boetius is a cooperation professor at the University of Bremen and principal investigator of the “The Ocean Floor” Cluster of Excellence, which is coordinated at the University of Bremen by MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences.
“I am thrilled to receive this special distinction. It is a great privilege to spend time with the members of the Order, exchanging ideas about art and academia around the world. Especially since I have been living on the Pacific coast for a year, access to this venerable German tradition and institution with its diverse membership is an enrichment,” said Antje Boetius regarding her induction into the Pour le Mérite Order.
Regarding the awarding of the Grand Cross of Merit with Star, she explained: “It is a special honor for me to receive the Grand Cross of Merit personally from our Federal President. I share this wonderful recognition of science – and specifically of polar and marine research – with my many companions over the past years, starting with the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, including Bremerhaven and the surrounding area, all the way to the North and South Poles.”
The president of the University of Bremen, Jutta Günther, expressed her delight. “I warmly congratulate Antje Boetius on these two outstanding honors, which highlight her great contributions to science and society. Her academic excellence and her tremendous commitment to protecting the oceans serve as an example to us all. We wish Antje Boetius all the best and hope that her powerful voice continues to be heard.”
Antje Boetius is one of the world’s most renowned marine scientists, whose research has significantly advanced our understanding of biodiversity and material cycles in the oceans. She has participated in approximately 50 expeditions aboard international research vessels for her studies. Her current research focuses primarily on the impacts of climate change on the biogeochemistry and biodiversity of the Pacific Ocean.
Since May 2025, Antje Boetius has been president of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in California, USA. She is also an adjunct professor in the Ocean Department at Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability and an external member of the Max Planck Society. From 2017 to 2025, she served as director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, with which the University of Bremen has close ties. In addition, she led the Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen for many years.
Contact:
Sarah Batelka
University Communications and Marketing (KOMMA)
University of Bremen
Phone: +49 (0)421 218-60153
Email: sarah.batelka@uni-bremen.de
