The Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB) is an institutional cooperation between the Bremerhaven Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI ) and the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg . It was founded in 2017. The HIFMB develops the scientific basis for marine conservation and marine ecosystem management by analyzing the functional role of biodiversity in the marine ecosystem and creating knowledge of the general principles that limit this role. The institute thereby generates the necessary knowledge and tools to predict future changes in biodiversity and ecosystem function and to analyze their consequences for human well-being.