@bigerscience
Our research group investigates how spatial and long-term stressors influence biogeochemical processes and biodiversity in running waters and wetlands, integrating socio-ecological aspects and aquatic ecosystem management.
HyPeak webinar:
Hydropeaking & benthic algae. Elisabeth Bondar‑Kunze on disturbance effects on stream periphyton/algal communities; plus María Dolores Bejarano Carrión on impacts on riverine plants (individuals→ecosystems).
🔗Register: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
🌍 Call for papers: Microbial Drivers of Aquatic OM Degradation & Carbon Cycling.
Seeking original high-quality research and reviews on microbial processes in aquatic systems. Please consider contributing or sharing within your networks!
🔗 www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
New paper: “Waves Under Control?”🌊
Ship-induced waves erode shores and reduce biodiversity.
This meta-analysis shows mitigation must be ecosystem-specific; combining breakwaters with shoreline complexity is promising across trophic levels in rivers, lakes, and estuaries
🔗 doi.org/10.1111/fwb....
New paper out:
Lateral hydrological connectivity (between rivers & floodplains) shapes the relative abundance of water frogs and common toads, shown via eDNA.
Species respond indirectly and differently to connectivity, guiding wetland restoration and conservation💧🐸
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s107...
Ronald Pöppl presents at IAG Conference in New Zealand. He shares new insights on sediment restoration in the Austrian Danube.
Key advances of the DANSER project: historical evolution, sediment transport, and landscape modeling build evidence for sustainable river management. More: danserproject.eu
Excited to share our new paper about water quality in Kampala’s Lubigi wetland.
Stormwater/sewage overloads wetland’s treatment capacity, causing persistent microbial contamination. Wetlands are vital buffers, but robust infrastructure and source control are essential.
🔗 doi.org/10.2166/wash...
New paper out: This well-timed paper provides a European-scale framework integrating Habitats Directive + WFD indicators, using Bayesian Networks to identify restoration opportunities and spatial targets aligned with the Nature Restoration Regulation aims.
🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.wa...
Exciting news for 2026!
New paper out: River–floodplain metacommunities as complex networks 🔗 doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
Connectivity matters: A Bayesian multilayer analysis shows how movement, interactions, and environment shape biodiversity, incl. top predators and invasive species 🌍💧
New in Microbial Ecology: A model–data fusion study shows how human impacts shape bacterioplankton in Taihu Lake river networks across the rainy season, integrating MIKE11 water-level simulations. By Zhao, Hein & Wang— the study provides insights for ecosystem health assessments
Last week our team held its annual retreat at Kalkalpen National Park. We shared project updates, exchanged ideas, and explored new collaborations—then enjoyed the winter wonderland outdoors. Feeling inspired and recharged! ❄️🌲
🎉 New Article Published!
Excited to share ‘specleanr': an R package for flagging environmental outliers in ecological data.
With 20 detection methods, it offers a user-friendly, reproducible tool for biogeographical modeling and data analysis.
🔗 Read more: doi.org/10.1002/ecog...
🎉Great news to end the week!
Congrats to Nadija Čehajić on defending her Master’s thesis "Spatial patterns of greenhouse gas emissions in a floodplain system".
Supervised by T. Hein, E. Bondar-Kunze & A. K. Sieczko, this work offers key insights into greenhouse gas dynamics in floodplains.
🚀More exciting news!
Our new paper, "Introducing fwtraits – an R package for freshwater biodiversity traits," is out!
Anthony Basooma & co-authors present fwtraits, a tool for accessing standardized ecological data for freshwater species via freshwaterecology.info
doi.org/10.1016/j.ba...
🌟Exciting news!
Our article "The dynamics of linked social–ecological action situations reveal governance changes in the Austrian Danube" is out!
We analyze the shift in Donau-Auen National Park governance- from top-down to polycentric and participatory.
🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.je...
📄New paper out: "Responses of Oligochaeta & Chironomidae to connectivity restoration in river–floodplains" published in Restoration Ecology.
Sonia Recinos & coauthors explore restoration impacts on macroinvertebrates & lasting strategies🐛💧
doi.org/10.1111/rec....
Our colleague Anthony Basooma presented his research on how environmental and human stressors drive the diversity of functional diversity of fish at the Society Global Conference for Ecological Modelling in Kashiwa.
Well done and greetings to Japan!
🎥Last Friday, filmmaker Christian Pfabigan filmed one of the final sessions for "The Voice of the Thaya" in Thayatal National Park. Ronald Pöppl shared insights on the river’s formation, meanders, human impacts, and sediment research in the Fugnitz River 🌊🍂
www.ukweli.at
Excited to share our new paper from our team highlighting the complex interactions between hydrological alterations and phytoplankton microbial communities. @Thomas Hein, @Olena Bilous rdcu.be/eLWCm
🐟Ever wondered what life’s like for a fish in the Danube?
Watch our short video, exploring how dams, river regulation, floodplain disconnection, and ship traffic impact ecosystems. Presented by Johannes Kowal at the #CDLMERI 30-year anniversary!
www.youtube.com/shorts/JUzUx...
🌍PhD Opportunity in Freshwater Ecology!
Join the FWF-funded project “Global warming effects on macrophytes’ role in lowland rivers (MARITE)”. Explore how macrophytes buffer water temperature & support ecosystem functions under climate change.
🔗Apply now: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
New Paper - ‚Drivers of metacommunity dynamics in river-floodplain fish: A Path Modeling Approach‘, by K Feng, I Czeglédi, A Funk, T Hein, D Pont, P Meulenbroek, A Valentini & T Erős, in Ecol Monographs doi.org/10.1002/ecm....
@fwf-at.bsky.social
Ronald Poeppl shared insights on the DANSER project and sustainable sediment management in the Upper Danube at the Regional Conference of the International Association of Geomorphologists in Romania🌍🌊
Check out this video about our Supersite within the DANUBIUS Research Infrastructure Consortium (#ERIC), showcasing the Austrian partners and the ongoing and planned research efforts. Thanks to a great team and many colleagues who contributed video content!
Ship-induced waves and habitat fragmentation from dams are key pressures on rivers. At the German Society of Limnology-DGL annual meeting in Frankfurt, Anna-Lisa Dittrich & Johannes Kowal shared research findings and mitigation strategies, sparking great discussions at the Senckenberg Museum dinner🌊
Ronald Poeppl shared insights from the DANube Sediment Restoration (DANSER) project in the Upper Danube with his talk, "Towards deployment and upscaling of sustainable sediment management across the Danube," at the Conference Geographies of a Changing Europe (EUGEO)
Ship-induced waves and habitat fragmentation from dams are key pressures on rivers. At the German Society of Limnology-DGL annual meeting in Frankfurt, Anna-Lisa Dittrich & Johannes Kowal shared research findings and mitigation strategies, sparking great discussions at the Senckenberg Museum dinner🌊
“With the Danube projects, we are among Europe’s leaders,” said Innovation Minister Peter Hanke (#BMIMI).
On August 25, he visited key project sites east of Vienna, including Dynamic LIFE Lines Danube and fish monitoring by the BOKU-CD Lab MERI🌊
👉More: www.viadonau.org/newsroom/new...
Our institute plays a key role in DANUBIUS-RI, a European research effort addressing riverine environmental challenges.
Through the "Upper Danube Austria" Supersite, BOKU advances climate resilience and sustainability strategies 🌊
Further information on danubius.boku.ac.at
Kicking off the Sustainability in Hydropower Conference at BOKU University, Vienna!
Our colleagues Johannes Kowal and Anthony Basooma presented their work on how human-made stressors, such as barriers, impact fish population connectivity in the Danube River and across European river catchments. 🌊🐟
🌊How do waves from ships impact freshwater biodiversity?
Check out this fascinating interview with Christoph Hauer, Thomas Hein, and Anna-Lisa Dittrich, where they discuss how wave action affects aquatic ecosystems and the delicate balance of life in rivers.
science.orf.at/stories/3231...