One of the strengths of AI is recognising patterns in large amounts of data. The AI MareExplore research project led by Dr Erik Borchert, marine biologist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, is taking advantage of this. After all, there is still a great deal of “dark matter” in the oceans, the study of which could help to boost marine protection.
Diving into ocean dark matter
The term “dark matter” is primarily known from physics. However, the term is also used in biology when there are still enormous gaps in knowledge in research areas, despite the availability of large amounts of data. This applies to metagenomics, for example. This field of research is concerned with analysing the genetic information of microorganisms from environmental samples that have not been cultivated in the laboratory beforehand. Since the late 1990s, this methodology has been helping to decipher marine systems. Nevertheless, we are still unable to assign existing functions to around 60 percent of the sequences found. This continues to puzzle researchers. “We know that there is much more out there – a kind of functional ‘dark matter’ that eludes our analysis,” says Dr Borchert. AI is now set to help unravel the mystery of dark matter in the oceans.
AI meets marine biotechnology
Dr Borchert’s research group is particularly interested in undiscovered enzymes that can break down plastics or bind carbon dioxide. These so-called marine biocatalysts could be of great importance in future marine protection efforts.
The researchers are initially focusing on developing an AI model that analyses marine genome data. The AI is then to identify unknown sequences in huge amounts of data, fed from publicly accessible genome databases, which are highly likely to have biocatalytic functions. If the model recognises an interesting enzyme pattern, it is tested in the laboratory. In this way, previously hidden enzymes can be decoded step by step. “In the end, we not only want to develop a new analysis method, but also identify specific biocatalysts that contribute to overcoming global environmental problems,” says Dr Borchert about the project’s objectives.
Microplastics in the sea: one aim of the new research project is to find enzymes that can break down plastics. From project start to application in just three years
The AI MareExplore project has been running since January 2025 and is funded by the Helmholtz Centre’s innovation pool. This pool promotes interdisciplinary collaboration on innovative ideas within the framework of three-year projects. In addition to the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the Jülich Research Centre (FZJ) and the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences are also involved. This brings together ecological, bioinformatic and biotechnological approaches. This interdisciplinarity is intended to ensure a holistic approach that can be flexibly transferred to other areas of application in the future.
Oceans as a source of innovation for better marine protection
AI MareExplore is an example of a growing trend in environmental research: data and AI are being used to accelerate ecologically relevant innovations. This is not just about analysing existing systems. The aim is to recognise potential and make it usable. In the example of AI MareExplore, this is the degradation of plastic and CO2.
The oceans not only serve as a research object, but also as a source of innovation. If researchers succeed in utilising the hidden microbial potential of the oceans with the help of AI, this would be a concrete step towards a circular bioeconomy based on solutions that arise from natural cycles and, at the same time, contribute to their preservation.
This article is a guest post by Alexandra Rauscher. She studied business administration with a focus on digital business. She has been working in a digitalisation consultancy since 2020 and regularly writes about digital innovations that support climate protection.
