When the top layer of the sea is saturated with CO2, it can no longer absorb it. Currents and phytoplankton transport CO2 to the depths, creating space for more CO2 absorption. Phytoplankton blooms, as shown here, arise when nutrients are abundant.

Series about the carbon cycle

‘Fortunately, seawater absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2). If it didn’t, things would have been over and done with already,’ according to climate and ocean researchers Richard Bintanja and Rob Middag. ‘The ocean is a massive carbon reservoir.’ But what actually happens to carbon absorption as the climate changes? For example, when glaciers and sea ice melt due to higher temperatures?

This article is the second in a series which the Science Newsroom of the Faculty Science and Engineering wrote about the carbon cycle: the cycle in which carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere and the ocean, and between plants and rocks, but is being disrupted by the CO2 added to the atmosphere through human activity. In this article, you can read about the carbon exchange between the atmosphere and seawater. Read more.

Political parties should be required to have members

Unlike in several European countries, political parties in the Netherlands are not required to have members. Why is this the case, and would it not be sensible to embed a minimum number in law? In the Dutch House of Representatives, the ‘elephant in the room’ is the PVV, with Geert Wilders as its single member. According to Sam Maasbommel, assistant professor of constitutional law, it would be reasonable to include a membership requirement in the proposed Political Parties Act (Wpp). ‘Why, in a democratic order, shouldn’t we be able to require that political parties themselves adhere internally to our democratic and constitutional principles?’ Read more.

Professor Bert Röling (1906–1985), founder of the former Polemology Institute at the University of Groningen

Michael O’Flaherty gives Röling lecture

From Ukraine to Gaza: every day shows how fragile peace and human rights are – and how urgent the question is of what role human rights can play in achieving and maintaining peace. On 10 December, International Human Rights Day, Michael O'Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, will address these urgent and topical issues in Groningen during the second Röling Lecture. His lecture, ‘War, Peace and Human Rights’, promises to offer a sharp and expert view of current events and the power of human rights as an instrument for peace. Read more.

Aletta Jacobs Prize 2026

The University of Groningen has awarded the Aletta Jacobs Prize 2026 to Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan, the first female lieutenant general in the Dutch armed forces. The prize will be presented on 6 March by the Rector Magnificus of the UG, Prof. Jacquelien Scherpen. According to the jury, Lieutenant General Boekholt-O'Sullivan is a woman who holds her own in the male-dominated world of the armed forces, while staying true to herself. Jury chair Prof. Marie-José van Tol: ‘She is a strong leader and an impressive speaker. She succeeds in drawing attention to the still misogynistic aspects of the Ministry of Defence in a humorous way, thereby helping to make the culture more equal from within. (...) She is an inspiring and a supportive role model.’ Read more.