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IGB researchers gave feedback on European energy policy plans.

What are the effects of climate change on underwater plants in German inland waters?

How do arapaima breathe? How fast are hippos? And how do water fleas reproduce? Answers to these and many other questions have been compiled by IGB and the Alliance for Freshwater Life. The #FreshwaterFactCards present 20 freshwater species that deserve special attention.

Small bodies of water, i.e. natural ponds, kettle holes and pools, account for 30 to 50 per cent of the world’s standing water. Owing to their size, however, the importance of small water bodies was long underestimated. On the occasion of World Water Day, experts from IGB take a look at these rather under-appreciated ecosystems.

Scientists from the Leibniz Biodiversity Research Network, including researchers from IGB, have compiled an inventory on the conservation of nature as the basis of human life. The "10 Must Knows from Biodiversity Research" are intended to stimulate dialogue, but also formulate concrete recommendations for politics and society.

Anyone who discusses the importance of biodiversity quickly ends up in a debate about values shaped by ethics and economics. Seven IGB scientists draw attention to aspects that are still often overlooked. They research genetic diversity, interactions between different species and across ecosystems, biological invasions and the smallest and most diverse organisms that colonise freshwaters.

When the last individual dies, species not only disappear from our planet. They also disappear from our collective memory. This phenomenon is called "societal extinction". Researchers have now studied the process and published their results in the scientific journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

Hydroelectric turbines put fish at risk of severe injury during passage. To support an informed debate on the sustainability of hydropower, reliable data of turbine-induced fish mortality are pivotal. A team of researchers has now provided a first global analysis. On average, 22.3 percent of all fish passing through turbines got killed or showed severe, potentially lethal injuries.