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A river flows steadily, and a lake usually has a consistent water level. However, many of our rivers have been canalised, straightened and regulated for shipping. It's therefore no surprise that we take stable water levels for granted, even in lakes. However, fluctuating water levels are a natural occurrence: streams and rivers sometimes dry up or flood the surrounding land. This creates floodplains along their banks, which are valuable habitats that are constantly changing.

A research team with IGB has made significant progress in understanding the bacterial genus Fontibacterium, which is widespread in both freshwater and marine environments. In a recent publication in the journal Nature Microbiology, the scientists greatly expanded the phylogenetic tree of Fontibacterium, described two previously unknown species and analysed their ecology.