Welcome to NBRI
The Northern Biodiversity Research Institute (NBRI) is dedicated to researching, documenting, and preserving biodiversity across the Northern Hemisphere—from Germany and Scandinavia to Japan, Alaska, and the Arctic.
As an independent, non-profit NGO, NBRI combines classical botanical field research with modern collection management, ecological data analysis, citizen science, and environmental education. Our work focuses particularly on species, habitats, and ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by climate change, land-use change, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Research Focus Areas
- Field Exploration & Species Documentation – Comprehensive surveys of biodiversity from alpine to Arctic regions.
- Long-Term Monitoring & Climate Impact Assessment – Tracking ecological changes over decades.
- Biocultural Landscapes & Ethnobotanical Knowledge – Documenting interactions between people and biodiversity.
- Collections Management & Biodiversity Data Infrastructure – Curating physical and digital archives.
- Citizen Science & Environmental Education – Engaging communities in research and conservation.
Institute Goals
- Conservation and Documentation – Safeguarding biodiversity through research and archives.
- International Collaboration – Partnering with global institutions and indigenous communities.
- Open-Access Knowledge – Building freely accessible archives and data platforms.
- Integrating Research, Education, and Conservation – Ensuring knowledge informs action.
- Engaging Early-Career Researchers and the Public – Fostering the next generation of biodiversity stewards.
Our Team
Marcus Thomas Kirchner – Research Director
Specialist in botanical fieldwork in remote regions, focusing
on rare plants and comparative floristics in northern,
montane, and temperate zones.
Thomas Matthias Müller – Curator of Biodiversity
Collections
Expert in curation, documentation, and management of
biological collections, including herbaria and digital
archives.
Publications and Resources
Kirchner, M. T., &
Müller, T. (2026).
A documented record of Anthracoidea pratensis on
Carex flacca from a calcareous woodland edge near
Aschfeld, Lower Franconia, Germany
(Version 1.0) [Preprint].
Zenodo. DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.21142887
This short communication documents a voucher-supported occurrence of the host-specific smut fungus Anthracoidea pratensis on Carex flacca at a calcareous woodland edge near Aschfeld in Lower Franconia, Germany. The record is supported by field photographs, microscopic observations, habitat documentation, geographical coordinates, and deposited herbarium material. The fungal voucher is filed under HTMG/120/19 and the host plant under HTMG/320/6/14.
Kirchner, M. T. (2025).
Ecological and taxonomic assessment of Taraxacum in
Japan: Biodiversity, ecology, and neophyte dynamics.
Zenodo. DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.16804362
This study examines the taxonomy, ecology, geographical distribution, and conservation relevance of native and introduced Taraxacum taxa in Japan. Particular attention is given to hybridisation, ecological competition, habitat change, and the increasing influence of non-native dandelion lineages on Japanese plant diversity.
NBRI Climate Research
North Pacific Marine
Heatwave – September 2025
Update
Kirchner, M. T. (2026).
Integrated supplementary synthesis: Two-timescale
SST and SSH evidence for a delayed Gulf Stream–Kuroshio
Extension linkage via a Northern Hemisphere atmospheric
bridge, 1993–2024 (Version 1) [Supplementary
preprint]. Zenodo.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18177038
This supplementary synthesis combines sea-surface temperature and satellite-altimetry evidence for a delayed connection between Gulf Stream variability and the Kuroshio Extension. The results indicate an asymmetric Gulf Stream-leading relationship, enhanced during winter, followed by a spatially coherent sea-surface-height response consistent with large-scale gyre adjustment and westward-propagating oceanic signals.
Kirchner, M. T. (2025).
Observational evidence for a delayed Gulf
Stream–Kuroshio Extension linkage via the Northern
Hemisphere atmospheric bridge, 1980–2024: Evaluation of
the Yamagami mechanism [Preprint].
Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17961514
The study presents observational
evidence for a delayed influence of Gulf Stream
sea-surface-temperature variability on the Kuroshio
Extension. Across multiple datasets and statistical
treatments, a Gulf Stream-leading relationship emerges at
delays of approximately 24–36 months. The findings support
the existence of a large-scale Northern Hemisphere
atmospheric bridge followed by slower oceanic adjustment.
Inter-basin SST contrasts during a North Pacific marine heatwave: Co-occurring mid-latitude Pacific cooling and North Atlantic cold anomaly (Version 1) [Working paper]. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17187673
This preliminary study examines simultaneous ocean–atmosphere anomalies during 2025, including the marine heatwave around northern Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, mid-latitude North Pacific cooling, the subpolar North Atlantic cold anomaly, and exceptional warming north of Siberia. The paper discusses possible inter-basin coupling mechanisms linking these anomalies across the Northern Hemisphere.
Collaboration Opportunities
We welcome collaboration with researchers, institutions, and citizen scientists. We are currently seeking peer review for our latest publication. If you are interested in contributing, please contact us at mk@nbri.org.
Contact
Northern Biodiversity Research Institute (NBRI)
Email: mk@nbri.org
Germany
Legal Notice:
Marcus Kirchner
Baumgartenweg 63, D-97737 Gemünden a. Main
Tel.: +49 9351 6045743