OderTogether

The Oder River forms the border between Brandenburg and the Lubuskie Voivodeship and is also a shared resource that provides numerous ecosystem services. However, the conservation and sustainable management of the Oder River face many challenges. This is evident not only from the catastrophic floods and droughts of recent years, but also from the mass mortality of fish and mollusks caused by the alga Prymnesium parvum in 2022. The challenge of restoring the river system requires cross-border efforts, solutions, and platforms for exchange. The project aims to gather information and, together with scientists, managers, and stakeholders from Brandenburg and Poland, develop solutions for the cross-border management of water quality, fish biodiversity, fisheries, and ecosystem services.

The project is divided into five work packages. In the first work package, a model will be developed to provide short-term forecasts of water quality and the risk of Prymnesium blooms for the entire Oder River. The model will also contribute to a better understanding of how climatic conditions and management measures affect water quality and the likelihood of Prymnesium blooms occurring. Work packages two and three address transboundary fish ecology and fisheries issues. The goal of the fourth work package is to assess the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the Oder River and its biodiversity for the residents of Brandenburg and the Lubusz Voivodeship. The final work package will consolidate the data and tools from all previous subprojects. The goal is to compare the effects of alternative management measures on water quality, fish biodiversity, fisheries, and other ecosystem services under various climate and environmental scenarios.

The IGB leads Work Package 2 on habitat use dynamics, biodiversity, and the resilience of the Oder’s fish community and participates in Work Packages 3 through 5. With the fish database, it lays an important foundation for knowledge transfer and the visualization of project results.

The OderTogether project is funded by the EU's INTERREG VI A Brandenburg-Poland 2021–2027 cooperation program with nearly €2.5 million.