News

Since May 2026, Dr Christian Birkel leads the new IGB research group, ‘Ecohydrological Modelling under Global Change’. In this interview, he explains why the conditions for scenario development vary so much from country to country.

In nature, the rarest ingredient can be the one that holds everything together. In a new article in the Cell Press journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Dr Erika C. Freeman argues that a handful of scarce molecules can shape entire living communities, far out of proportion to how little of them is present. These are what ecologists call “keystone molecules”.

Malwina Schafft was awarded the dissertation prize from the German Angling Association (DAFV). Timo Rittweg received the Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Research Award for his doctoral dissertation. Both were members of the “Integrative Angling Management” research group at IGB.

A study published in Science shows that the exposed sediments of the desiccated Aral Sea have already released vast amounts of carbon dioxide since 1960, but also that they still contain a vulnerable carbon sink that could be protected through hydrological restoration.

In the second half of June 2026, record-breaking heat was recorded not only on land but also in bodies of water. On 29 June 2026, for example, a water temperature of 30.2 °C was measured in Berlin’s Müggelsee – the highest temperature ever recorded for this lake. Near the shore, the temperature even reached 32.7 °C. But how do extremely high temperatures affect the lake and its wildlife? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) provide an overview.

IGB is strengthening its commitment to diversity and inclusion: Esther Schneidenbach has been appointed as the Institute’s new Diversity Officer. Until now, this role had been carried out alongside that of the Equal Opportunities Officer. By separating these two areas of responsibility, diversity and inclusion at the IGB will in future have a dedicated point of contact and receive additional attention.

IGB has been awarded the TOTAL E-QUALITY certification for the second time. The award recognises the Institute’s sustained commitment to equality-oriented human resources and organisational policies and is valid for the years 2026 to 2028.

Dr Daphne Cortese is leader of the new research group "Fish Ecophysiology" at IGB since April 2026. Prior to this, she was a postdoctoral fellow at UMR MARBEC (MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation) in Sète, France, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow. Fish have always fascinated her, particularly how their physiology and behaviour are shaped by the health of their habitat. She talks about this in a short interview.