News

Desiccating salt lakes are an underappreciated source of greenhouse gases that could become even more relevant as a result of climate change. Newly announced research by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in the USA in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) examining greenhouse gas emissions from the drying lake bed of Great Salt Lake, Utah, calculates that 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases were released in 2020.

IGB researcher Mina Bizic has been appointed Professor and Chair of Environmental Microbiomics at the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin). We spoke to the scientist, whose work is dedicated to the smallest living organisms in water.

In a new Leopoldina statement with IGB participation, researchers recommend the restoration of peatlands and floodplains.

Study in Science shows: High nutrient levels and rising temperatures increase the decomposition rates of organic matter in freshwaters. This can lead to increased CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Freely accessible maps show the differences for more than 500 stream ecosystems worldwide.

In a recent EU consultation, the IGB provided feedback on the use of so-called Renure fertilisers and recommended that the current nitrate limits should be strictly followed and that renure fertilisers should not benefit from any exemptions.

Oxygen is essential for most aquatic organisms. Chemical and biological processes, such as the ability to self-purify, are also dependent on oxygen. However, environmental changes and rising water temperatures are altering the oxygen content of lakes, ponds and pools. Oxygen concentrations in the deep layers of lakes are decreasing worldwide. In addition, oxygen depletion can lead to an increased release of greenhouse gases. IGB researchers are investigating the extent and consequences of this. In the process, they are also questioning some theories about the laws of lake ecology.

The IGB has provided research-based feedback on a draft legislation to regulate the reuse of municipal wastewater for agricultural irrigation.

Songjun Wu, a former doctoral student in Prof. Dörthe Tetzlaff's research group, has been awarded the 2024 Dissertation Prize of the German Hydrological Society.