News

A new IGB Manual helps those seeking assistance to find solutions when lakes appear to be out of balance.

Nanoplastics are increasingly polluting our environment, and research usually focuses on how they affect individual organisms. Two new studies  from IGB take a different angle, examining the microbiome of the water flea Daphnia magna and its relationship with the common fungal parasite Australozyma monospora.

World Fish Migration Day, which will take place on May 23, 2026, aims to raise awareness of the importance of migratory fish and free-flowing rivers. Some fish must migrate to ensure the survival of their species, but their migratory routes are increasingly blocked. Even protected areas offer little protection because they are often unsuitable for aquatic life. The combination of these physical barriers and inadequately protected aquatic habitats means many migratory freshwater fish species can no longer use their natural routes. 

A team of researchers with IGB present a framework which can be used to identify and assess the animal welfare impacts of biological invasions. The study was published in Nature Communications.

A team of scientists with IGB analysed water and sediment samples from six water bodies in Berlin and the adjacent federal states of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, as well as the inflow and outflow of a wastewater treatment plant in Berlin. They analysed bacteria found in these samples and detected a higher diversity and load of antibiotic resistance genes in urban samples. 

Researchers explain the ecological developments in Lake Stechlin and the latest findings in a new IGB Dossier. In it, they also provide an assessment of which follow-up actions now appear appropriate.

IGB researchers emphasise the great importance of the WFD for sustainable water management.

Only 25 per cent of newly-delineated priority areas identified for the protection of freshwater fishes in Colombia overlap with existing protected areas. This is shown by a recent study published in Diversity and Distributions.