She led the research group working on stress physiology and aging in marine invertebrates[2] and also the Ecology Polar regions And Coasts in the changing Earth System (PACES) programme.

[5] Abele's research interests lay in physiological ageing in ectotherms, the evolution of genes and genomes, the impact of climatic changes on Antarctic coastal benthos, and HIF-1 homologs in marine organisms.

[13] From 2013 to 2016 she served as the role of coordinator as part of the Network for Staff Exchange and Training at IMCONet on the Interdisciplinary Modelling of climate change in Coastal Western Antarctica.

She leads the international ESF (European Social Fund) Programme, IMCOAST (Impact of Climate Change on Antarctic Coastal Systems: 2010–2016).

[16] She is the coordinator for MCONet - Interdisciplinary Modelling of Climate Change in Coastal Western Antarctica – Network for Staff Exchange and Training.