News

An international research team, in which the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) was involved, has compiled extensive information on zooplankton communities in 311 lakes and reservoirs. The new dataset enables a better understanding of changes in biodiversity in inland waters.

For millennia, humans have been shaping water bodies, and in turn, water bodies and the creatures that inhabit them have been shaping us. Aquatic animals and plants have become an integral part of our culture and art.Cultural influences also shape our approach to nature conservation and species protection, thereby either promoting or hindering these efforts. Scientists from IGB investigate the various perspectives.

In the second half of June 2026, record-breaking heat was recorded not only on land but also in bodies of water. On 29 June 2026, for example, a water temperature of 30.2 °C was measured in Berlin’s Müggelsee – the highest temperature ever recorded for this lake. Near the shore, the temperature even reached 32.7 °C. But how do extremely high temperatures affect the lake and its wildlife? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) provide an overview.

Dr Daphne Cortese is leader of the new research group "Fish Ecophysiology" at IGB since April 2026. Prior to this, she was a postdoctoral fellow at UMR MARBEC (MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation) in Sète, France, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow. Fish have always fascinated her, particularly how their physiology and behaviour are shaped by the health of their habitat. She talks about this in a short interview.

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.