© David Ausserhofer/IGB

Research for the future of our freshwaters

Through innovative research on the structure and functioning of freshwaters, their biodiversity, ecosystem services and responses to global change, we make a relevant contribution to a better understanding of these ecosystems and to sustainable freshwater management.
© David Ausserhofer/IGB

Our programme areas

In three programme areas, we link internationally competitive basic research with applied research for the sustainable use and conservation of inland waters. This integrative and dynamic approach allows us to develop innovative ideas, respond to research questions and impulses from science and society as well as to drive national, European and global research developments.
© Solvin Zankl

Our research groups

The 37 research groups at IGB are organised in five disciplinary departments that enable multi-faceted research in freshwater ecology and inland fisheries. Their work is integrated most prominently within three programme areas that represent overarching research themes.
© Carmen Cillero/3edata

Our infrastructure

IGB maintains large-scale research facilities such as the IGB LakeLab in Lake Stechlin or the River Lab in the Tagliamento River. Our infrastructure also includes fish and invertebrates facilities as well as modern biogeochemistry, stable isotope, microbial and molecular laboratories. In addition, we use and advance a wide range of models and methods such as remote sensing, 3D print-assisted sampling, sensor technology and AI-assisted image analysis.
© Buendia22 (CC)

Our latest scientific highlights

Fish in the Danube: native species threatened by changes in flow regime and rising temperatures | Degradation of dissolved organic matter: molecular diversity and microbes in focus | Microbial diversity in Berlin's streams: study reveals spatio-temporal variability | Towards accurate population modelling: researchers investigate extensions of the logistic growth model

Selected publications

March 2024
Journal of Hydrology. - 633(2024), Art. 131020

Assessing the impact of drought on water cycling in urban trees via in-situ isotopic monitoring of plant xylem water

Ann-Marie Ring; Dörthe Tetzlaff; Maren Dubbert; Jonas Freymüller; Christopher Soulsby

The authors conducted innovative in-situ monitoring of stable water isotopes in plant xylem water over an entire growing period including a major drought to assess how urban trees react to changing water supply. They also detected fractionation in plant water. Urban trees rely on deep water supply and internal storage during drought.

March 2024
Nature Climate Change. - XX(2024), XX-XX

Flexible foraging behaviour increases predator vulnerability to climate change

Benoit Gauzens; Benjamin Rosenbaum; Gregor Kalinkat; Thomas Boy; Malte Jochum; Susanne Kortsch; Eoin J. O’Gorman; Ulrich Brose

Based on a combination of (historical) empirical data and model simulations the authors investigated how size-selective adaptive behaviour under warmer conditions in demersal marine fishes might affect their long-term population stability. Under warmer conditions the fish species studied tend to consume less efficiently by choosing smaller and more abundant prey increasing their extinction risk.

March 2024
Scientific Data. - 11(2024) Art. 236

Quantitative description of six fish species’ gut contents and prey abundances in the Baltic Sea (1968–1978)

Benoit Gauzens; Gregor Kalinkat; Ana Carolina Antunes; Thomas Boy; Eoin J. O’Gorman; Ute Jacob; Malte Jochum; Susanne Kortsch; Benjamin Rosenbaum; Ludmilla Figueiredo; Ulrich Brose

This data paper presents a multi-year database containing information about diets and traits for demersal fish species from the Western Baltic Sea, as well as on resource abundances and environmental conditions. These historical data are unique as they provide detailed descriptions of quantitative and trait-based consumer-resource interactions enabling various ways of innovative food-web analyses.

February 2024
BioScience. - XX(2024)X, XX–XX

The potential of historical spy-satellite imagery to support research in ecology and conservation

Catalina Munteanu; Benjamin M. Kraemer; Henry H. Hansen; Sofia Miguel; E.J. Milner-Gulland; Mihai Nita; Igor Ogashawara; Volker C. Radeloff; Simone Roverelli; Oleksandra O. Shumilova; Ilse Storch; Tobias Kuemmerle

This study evaluated the spatial, temporal, and seasonal coverage of over one million declassified images from 4 US spy-satellite programmes, showing that this data spans nearly the entire globe and all seasons. Their use could lead to better mapping of the historical extent and structure of ecosystems and human impacts, and help reconstruct past habitats and species distributions.

Monitoring stations

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Last measurement: No data available.

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