News

Peatland restoration plays an important role in protecting the climate and biodiversity. From 21 to 29 October 2018, Dubai hosted the “Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP13)”. Researchers from IGB accompany the restoration of peatlands with their expertise.

A team of scientists spearheaded by IGB has investigated whether flash photography induces an increase in cortisol levels of fish in aquariums.

Artificial light at night also makes guppies more courageous during the day, according to a behavioural study led by researchers from IGB and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

Permafrost soils store large quantities of frozen carbon and play an important role in regulating Earth’s climate. River greenhouse gas emissions are highest in areas where Siberian permafrost is actively thawing.

Scientists from  IGB have analysed long-term data to prove that decreasing nitrogen in Berlin’s Lake Müggelsee is the key to reducing algal blooms in summer.

Fisheries scientists have studied the response of fish in the Mediterranean Sea to spearfishing. The fish are able to finely discriminate if divers carry a speargun or not and adjust their escape behaviour.

Climate change, pesticides and land use changes alone cannot fully explain the decline in insect populations in Germany. Artificial lighting at night could be another reason for declining insect populations.

The relationship between energy efficiency in the food web and size distribution allows a better and more direct understanding of biological processes and disturbances that impact aquatic ecosystems.