News

IGB is strengthening its commitment to diversity and inclusion: Esther Schneidenbach has been appointed as the Institute’s new Diversity Officer. Until now, this role had been carried out alongside that of the Equal Opportunities Officer. By separating these two areas of responsibility, diversity and inclusion at the IGB will in future have a dedicated point of contact and receive additional attention.

IGB has been awarded the TOTAL E-QUALITY certification for the second time. The award recognises the Institute’s sustained commitment to equality-oriented human resources and organisational policies and is valid for the years 2026 to 2028.

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.

At this year's Door Opener Day, lots of exciting questions were asked by our visitors. Here, we answer one of them. Lakes, rivers, and streams provide habitats for countless animal and plant species, supply drinking water, and offer great enjoyment for fishing, boating, swimming, and walking. But many bodies of water are under pressure: pollution, water scarcity, climate change, and human interference are taking their toll. The good news is that everyone can help protect our waterways—often through simple actions in everyday life.

On 30 June 2026, Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) and IGB opened their new collaborative building for biodiversity research on the Dahlem research campus. Here, eight research groups from the two institutions will work together under one roof.

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

A study published in Communications Earth & Environment shows that the winter North Atlantic Oscillation is strongly associated with the development of summer droughts in Central Europe. This cross-seasonal connection could improve early forecasting and resilience planning land and water management in drought-sensitive regions.