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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. 

Dr Natalie Klinard has been leading the new IGB research group "Movement Ecology" since March 2026. Her previous position was as a postdoctoral researcher at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.  While there, she developed a framework for investigating the ecological role of sharks in coral reefs. At IGB, she will continue her research into the movements and behaviour of wild fish within Department 4. A deep appreciation for the natural world is a major source of motivation for her work, as she describes in this short interview.

Dr Erika Freeman has been leading the new IGB research group, "Aquatic Biogeochemistry of Carbon", since mid-January 2026. After completing her PhD at the University of Cambridge in the UK, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Eawag in Switzerland.

Swarms of sulphur mollys survive attacks of birds through creating spectacular collective waves. But a study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that their avian predators are adapting too. The fish, in turn, appear to fight back with a surprising form of collective “memory.” 

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.

Dr. Timo Rittweg , former doctoral student at IGB, was awarded the “Forschungsstiftung Ostsee” Research Prize for his doctoral thesis. In his dissertation, he studied the life of pike in the Bodden off Rügen as part of the BODDENHECHT project.