(Dept. 3) Plankton and Microbial Ecology
Research in the Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology on the shores of Lake Stechlin centres on impacts of global environmental change on inland waters. Consequences on the biodiversity and functioning of plankton communities in lakes receive particular attention. This includes investigations into the dynamics, activities and interactions of bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton and fungi. Field experiments, especially in a large outdoor facility dubbed the LakeLab in Lake Stechlin, are a hallmark of research in the department. Other essential elements are the analysis of long-term data, laboratory experiments and the development of ecological models and new methods to analyse plankton communities. We use the knowledge gained in theses studies to devise concepts and methods that foster the protection and sustainable management of inland waters in the face of ongoing environmental change.
Research groups
Department members
Selected publications
Mechanical harvesting of cyanobacterial blooms shifts greenhouse gas potential to post-harvest sludge in a hypereutrophic lake
Cyanobacterial blooms are increasingly managed through large-scale mechanical harvesting to improve water quality and ensure a continued supply of drinking water. However, as this study shows, this does not prevent greenhouse gas emissions. Just like the affected lakes, the harvested cyanobacterial sludge also releases methane, particularly when it still contains a high moisture content.
Distinct contributions of suspended and sinking prokaryotes to mesopelagic carbon budget
Oceans are important carbon sinks. Bacteria play a central role in carbon cycling because, collectively, they convert more organic material than all other marine organisms combined. Their activity acts as a “carbon pump”, ensuring that life is possible in the deep sea. The authors quantified the effect of bacteria in the middle ocean layers, known as the twilight zone, in the North-East Atlantic.
Flow variability and macroinvertebrates jointly regulate stream periphyton and metabolism: Insights from experimental stream mesocosms
In stream mesocosm experiments the authors tested how reduced flow and a sequence of controlled flushing events, with or without macroinvertebrates, affect periphyton community composition, algal biovolume, and ecosystem metabolism. Flow variability and macroinvertebrates control periphyton structure, metabolism, and carbon cycling, with macroinvertebrates stabilising responses to disturbance.
Advancements in Satellite Observations of Inland and Coastal Waters: Building Towards a Global Validation Network
This article highlights the importance of validating satellite-derived water quality products. The authors provide guidance for the scientific community on what to consider when implementing field campaigns to collect data for remote sensing validation needs.
Challenges in studying microplastics in human brain
Microplastics are ubiquitous – in the environment and in the human body. However, accurately detecting these particles poses major challenges for researchers from various disciplines. The authors described the methodological difficulties in the journal and call for more standardized methods in biomonitoring.
