Steamy, humid mangrove forests; clear blue waters with colorful coral and fish; large river mouths and iceberg-covered coasts; meter-long tubeworms in the dark oceanic abyss: what is common to these very distinct marine environments? They all represent complex systems where biogeochemical processes take place to shape Earth’s surface. Biogeochemical research, the balanced study of the mutual interactions (and feedbacks) between the biology and chemistry of the Earth system, is fundamental to our understanding of global change and its consequences and thus assumes a pivotal role for society.

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