News

Melatonin sets the internal clock. Researchers from IGB in an international team have analyzed data on the impact  of light pollution on melatonin formation in humans and vertebrates. They found that even the low light intensities of urban skyglow can suppress melatonin production. Melatonin influences the metabolism and other body functions.

Oxygen-rich lakes with good water quality are an underestimated source of methane shows a recent study by Swansea University and IGB.

According to a study by Robert Arlinghaus, the willingness-to-pay per capita in Germany for ecologically intact rivers would be about 675 euros per year.

The IGB Policy Brief recommends continued commitment to the objectives of the WFD and improved practical implementation – and offers options for action to policy makers and practitioners.

Justyna Wolinska and her Team have found that pollution by fungicides can have unforeseen but far-reaching consequences for the functioning of aquatic systems – like indirectly on the development of algal blooms.

Dörthe Tetzlaff and her team have developed a mathematical model that can reflect the complex interplays between vegetation, soil and water regimes. 

IGB scientists have quantified the global decline of big freshwater animals: From 1970 to 2012, global populations of freshwater megafauna declined by 88 percent. Large fish species are particularly affected.

Aquatic organisms are threatened by fungal and fungal-like diseases globally. There are few approved chemical means for combating these pathogens, and many have unwanted side-effects. IGB scientists propose 7 biological alternatives.