For GEOMAR and Team Malizia, this marks the next step in a long-standing collaboration: whilst ocean data has been collected on the team’s racing yacht for years, the “Malizia Explorer” is now taking on a role of its own as a research platform. After several months in the Southern Ocean, the vessel is now set to undertake its first scientific missions in the Baltic Sea. The project was presented in Kiel by GEOMAR Director Katja Matthes, researchers from the institute and skipper Boris Herrmann.
Three sections of the route in the western Baltic Sea
GEOMAR is planning the expeditions from 9 to 24 July 2026. During the first and third legs of the voyage, the researchers intend to study seagrass beds in the Bay of Kiel, the Bay of Mecklenburg and off the coast of southern Denmark. The focus will be on the condition and extent of the underwater plants, as well as on sediment cores, which can be used to determine the potential of these habitats as natural carbon sinks.
The second phase of the expedition focuses on microalgae, or phytoplankton. These organisms form the basis of marine food webs and play an important role in the carbon cycle. According to GEOMAR, the aim is to investigate how the species composition and activity of microalgae can be used as indicators of the state of the Baltic Sea and what contribution they make to the uptake of carbon dioxide.
Research vessel with a sailing crew
The “Malizia Explorer” is a sailing yacht that has been specially converted for research. It can accommodate a three-person sailing crew and up to eight scientists. On board, there are laboratory and storage facilities for samples, a dinghy for operations near the coast, and a crane for deploying scientific equipment.
The 25.99-metre-long Garcia 85 was built in 2005 from more than 60 tonnes of aluminium and is designed for long voyages to remote regions. It was taken over and refurbished by Team Malizia in 2025.
State-of-the-art on-board measurement technology
GEOMAR relies on several measurement methods for its Baltic Sea missions. Special camera systems and automatic analysers are used to detect microalgae directly in the water. In addition, water samples are taken, measurements of organic carbon compounds are carried out and environmental DNA (eDNA) is collected in order to draw conclusions about biodiversity. According to the institute, the data is fed into the RECOVER and KIMMCO projects; KIMMCO focuses on AI-supported monitoring of marine microalgae as CO₂ sinks.
In addition, the “Malizia Explorer” is equipped with an OceanPack laboratory for recording oceanographic data such as salinity, temperature and CO₂ levels. It also carries other scientific instruments, including water sampling systems.
GEOMAR and Team Malizia are expanding their partnership
According to their own statements, GEOMAR and Team Malizia have been working together for years. Sensors on board the team’s racing yacht collect data on ocean conditions during international races. Since the “Malizia Explorer” was commissioned in 2025, GEOMAR has also been a scientific partner of the research vessel.
Boris Herrmann describes the development of the collaboration as a gradual process: a GEOMAR researcher initially collected data during a sailing race, and over the years this led to a shared understanding of the benefits of such measurements. GEOMAR Director Katja Matthes speaks of a combination of research and a powerful message for the protection of the ocean.
After a mission to Antarctica, now the Baltic Sea
The voyages in the Baltic Sea are not the ship’s first mission. They have already been preceded by scientific expeditions to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. The new project marks a new chapter in Boris Herrmann’s commitment to climate action and research. The ship is set to collect data in remote and significant marine regions, support scientific research and, at the same time, raise public awareness of the ocean’s role in the climate system.
