To protect the ocean, to predict its future and to use it sustainably, we need to understand its inner workings .Our scientists study the fundamental physical and chemical processes that drive the ocean system: from currents that move water, heat and salt around the globe, to the cycling of elemental building blocks of ocean life like carbon and phosphorus. But ocean life itself also plays a crucial role: marine organisms influence the distribution of nutrients, lock away carbon in the seabed, and help shape many of the ocean’s processes. Moreover, marine life is woven into complex webs of interactions, often referred to as food webs. Species compete for space, feed on each other, depend on each other for survival and even shape each other’s habitats. The presence or absence of one species can impact an entire ecosystem. We study these complex interrelations of marine life.