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

Congratulations to Ronald Pöppl on being elected EGU Geomorphology Division President (2027–2029)!🌍 www.egu.eu/elections/eg...

🎉 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...

The #SUSHP Conference took place at @bokuvienna.bsky.social in September, bringing together more than 160 participants from around the world. We took the opportunity to highlight contributions from our BOKU colleagues, and we’ll be sharing them throughout this month. Stay tuned for Part II! 🐟

The 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆.𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼 database provides ecological characteristics and preferences, biological traits, and distribution patterns for more than 20,000 European freshwater organisms, including fish, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, phytobenthos, and phytoplankton. Version 8.0 is now online:

Last-minute registration is still available! Join us to learn what it takes to carry out effective lake restoration.

Becca joined @danubelifelines.bsky.social's Friday Facts! She's sharing a few facts about the #sterlet – the focus of her master's thesis, which she finished exactly a year ago! 🔗 Watch the video: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

🎉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 this week!

New Article Published! Congratulations to the Team! 🎉

Rebecca's research on the diet analysis of the #sterlet inspired this video. Got a minute? Learn some facts about one of the @danubelifelines.bsky.social target migratory species in this short clip: www.instagram.com/reel/%20DQMC...

📄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

In our next webinar, the EU-funded project @futurelakes.bsky.social will be introduced. This project builds upon MERLIN, adapting and refining many of the component building blocks needed to enable successful freshwater restoration. 📅 𝗡𝗼𝘃 𝟯, 𝟭𝟱:𝟬𝟬-𝟭𝟲:𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗘𝗧 ✍️ project-merlin.eu/webinars.html

Save the Date! Am 13. November 2025 findet der 11. @bokuvienna.bsky.social Nachhaltigkeitstag statt, unter dem Motto „Renaturierung & Biodiversität“. 📍 Eintritt frei – keine Anmeldung erforderlich. ➡️ Alle Infos unter short.boku.ac.at/nht2025 #BOKUNachhaltigkeitstag #Renaturierung #Biodiversität

Members of #S4F have prepared an open letter calling on EU policymakers to stick to science, adhere to the Paris Agreement, and adopt an ambitious GHG reduction target of 90–95% by 2040. 🔗 Read the letter and join as a signatory by 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝟬 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗘𝗧: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

🐟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/...

RIP 🤍 www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...

The Austrian waterway company #viadonau is looking for a Hydrology Specialist with strong expertise in the field. Fluent German and English skills are essential: karriere.viadonau.org/offene-stell...

Scientists for Balkan Rivers have issued an #OpenLetter to the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other relevant bodies on the mass fish kill at the #Neretva River. Read the letter here: docs.google.com/document/d/1... ⚠️ Sign until 𝟮𝟱.𝟬𝟵.𝟮𝟱.

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🌍🌊

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🌊

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!

The EU-project @danubelifelines.bsky.social officially launches its 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 – a unique opportunity for regions across Europe to receive funding for activities supporting migratory fish habitats and river connectivity: www.danubelifelines.eu/associated-r... 📅 Deadline: 31.12.2025

“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. 🌊🐟

Exciting to see Module 2 of the MERLIN Academy now available! 😊 Engaging diverse actors is the foundation for long-term impact in freshwater & wetland restoration. This module provides practical tools and strategies to ensure inclusive participation, alignment of interests, and policy integration:

1st of September means that our webinars are back! It's not too late to register and join us this afternoon:

🌟 New paper out, together with our team from @boku-ihg.bsky.social @boku-ilen.bsky.social and Hochschule Trier/Stoll lab. Take a look here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #UrbanEcology #ProtectedAreas #AutomatedClassification #InstagramResearch #ViennaStudy #Teamwork

New video out! Check it out on our LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

📢 Offene PhD-Stelle am Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management in Kooperation mit uns. Im FWF-Projekt: „Industrialisierung der Donau als sozio-naturaler Schauplatz, 1780–1940“ 🔗 boku.ac.at/wiso/isec/jobs @bokuvienna.bsky.social @boku-ihg.bsky.social

🌊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...

New paper out! In "Cascading effects of land use on ecosystem function in Afrotropical headwater streams," PhD candidate Florence Nansumbi & co-authors examine how human activities disrupt biogeochemical cycles in an Afrotropical watershed 🌍🌊 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Our colleague Ronald Poeppl engaging in outreach for the DANSER project, inspiring young minds by discussing river floods and the role of humans at the "Junge Uni Waldviertel-Vysočina." 🌊👏

📢A new book is out: "The Danube River and the Western Black Sea Coast – A volume in Ecohydrology from Catchment to Coast" is out: www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780443... Congrats to Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein on this remarkable work!👏

An inspiring week on freshwater science & conservation! Colleagues from our BIGER team engaged with leading experts at the SEFS14 conference in Bolu, Turkey, shared ideas, and explored ways to preserve our vital freshwater ecosystems for the future. 🌊💧

Coming all the way from Galați, Romania, the research vessel #REXDAN is arriving to Vienna! Take part in this expedition here: sundanseproject.eu/rexdan-embar... 📅 Wednesday, July 30 & Thursday, July 31, 2025

eDNA meets the Danube! 🌊 IHG leads eDNA activities for #JDS5, Europe’s largest river monitoring campaign. Sampling ~3,000 km of the Danube in 3 weeks with 300 samples—a big step for biodiversity protection in one of Europe’s key river systems

BIGER members joined the CEEPUS–EcoManAqua Summer School in Osijek & Kopački Rit🌊 Prof. Thomas Hein lectured on floodplain ecology, and Dr. Olena Bilous on algae ecology. Students Nadija Čehajić & Bhargavi Nerikar gained hands-on experience in biodiversity & conservation

Discover our web-based tool for ecological water assessments – #ECOweb. It allows users to enter and analyse data on the biological quality elements #macrozoobenthos and #phytobenthos 🌱 🔗 More info and step-by–step video tutorials available at: www.bmluk.gv.at/themen/wasse...

The first @bioagora.eu'𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 (𝗦𝗣𝗜) 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 – a dialogue workshop on free-flowing rivers – is a great opportunity to feed into the strategic SPI debate on barrier removal! 📅 𝟭–𝟮 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 📍 Ghent, Belgium 🔗 More info available at: bioagora.eu/en/news/save...

Our BIGER group participated in the 5th I.S. Rivers Conference (June 30–July 4), sharing research that included the topics of network connectivity (E. Bondar-Kunze), shipwave effects (A.-L. Dittrich), river restoration (A. Funk), and fish ecology in Central Asia (D. S. Hayes) 🌊

🌍 Greenpeace data reveals dramatic water loss in Austria’s rivers—15 of 18 studied rivers show declining volumes. Rising water temperatures and lower summer flows harm river ecosystems. Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein: “We must act decisively now as a society.” 🌊 greenpeace.at/presse/green...

#JDS5 is officially launched! 🌍 Today in Vienna, we kicked off the world’s largest surface water monitoring project! 🔬 At the kick-off-event: the Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig- www.bmluk.gv.at/themen/wasse... 👉 danubesurvey.org

Less water, more extremes! Austria’s rivers face climate stress 🌊 Greenpeace data shows falling water levels and rising floods in rivers like the Danube. Ronald Pöppl calls for restoring floodplains, boosting water storage, reducing soil sealing, and sustainable land use- orf.at/stories/3397...