With pleasure we announce that Dmytro Spriahailo started his PHD in BASS, a project on biogeochemical processes and air-exchange in the sea surface microlayer. Dmytro originates from the Ukraine, did his second Master at the University of Oldenburg and within BASS is responsible for studying the activity and functional diversity of bacteria and archaea. BASS is set up as research group and funded by the DFG and FWF.