The authors recommend a new genetic approach for the obligatory measurements under the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Currently, the diversity of phytoplankton – i.e. microalgae – is assessed as a key parameter for water quality using an inverse microscope technique that has been in use since 1958.

The authors identified the sources of streamflow and their temporal dynamics in a glacierized catchment of the Tibetan Plateau using isotopic and geochemical signatures. They demonstrated that incorporation of high-resolution tracer data in an appropriate model structure can help resolve streamflow components and identify the dynamics of dominant recharge sources in cryosphere environments.

The Aral Sea is both an example of large-scale environmental degradation caused by human activity and a message of hope through its partial restoration. The field observations and model scenarios show that the restored part of the Aral Sea appears to be healthy in terms of vertical mixing and oxygenation, but small changes of water level or transparency could alter the entire ecosystem.