Department of Migration

 

Myriads of organisms travel great distances on their search for suitable food, wintering and mating grounds. Our planet resembles one large pulsating organism, in which all of the organisms that are continually moving are breathing life into it. Understanding this pulsating life and its underlying mechanisms allows a better understanding of the ecologically dynamic processes on a global scale.

We strive to understand and predict which decisions animals will make on their journey, how animals will interact with their ever-changing environment, and the consequences their migrations have on ecosystems and humans. Above all, this insight will enable us to predict the impact that we humans have on these processes and allow us to understand the future consequences.

 

 

Research - The Migration Groups

ICARUS and Movebank

Community Science

News

Sooty tern

ICARUS returns to space

November 28, 2025

The pioneering system of global wildlife tracking resumes after three-year pause more

Barbara Fruth with bonobos

Bonobo researcher receives Germany’s highest tribute given to individuals for services to the nation more

Shrew

Knowing how shrews loose brain volume over winter is the first step to understanding how they reverse this loss and regrow healthy brains in summer more

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In the Media

The 'Internet of Animals' has new eyes in space to soon track wildlife from above

The 'Internet of Animals' has new eyes in space to soon track wildlife from above more

New satellite enables wildlife observation from space once again

Neuer Satellit ermöglicht wieder Tierbeobachtung aus dem All more

‘Game changer’: System to track small animals from space takes flight—again

‘Game changer’: System to track small animals from space takes flight—again more

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