Department Aquatic Ecology

Aquatic Ecology

The Aquatic Ecology department at Eawag consists of eight research groups and covers a wide range of different disciplines in ecology and evolutionary biology, ranging from the individual level to associations and ecosystems. Learn more

The latest news from our department

Beavers create habitats for bats

Stagnant water, gaps in the forest and dead trees: bats find good hunting conditions here. (Photo: Christof Angst)
November 13, 2025 –

A study shows that land animals benefit from beaver dam construction – for example, endangered bats.

A study shows that land animals benefit from beaver dam construction – for example, endangered bats.
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10 years of Eawag Sensorlab

A series of temperature sensors with radio transmission is ready for a general overhaul, as operating conditions in the mountains or in sewer systems can be harsh. (Andri Bryner, Eawag)
November 11, 2025 –

Sensorlab is celebrating. It keeps water research at the cutting edge with new measurement and automation solutions, data transmission and management.

Sensorlab is celebrating. It keeps water research at the cutting edge with new measurement and automation solutions, data transmission and management.
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Indirect effects drive evolution

Martin Schäfer taking a water sample from one of the test ponds (Photo: Christoph Walcher, Eawag).
August 28, 2025 –

An international study conducted in Eawag's experimental ponds demonstrates how indirect ecological effects influence the evolution of species.

An international study conducted in Eawag's experimental ponds demonstrates how indirect ecological effects influence the evolution of species.
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Join our events

23.01.​2026,
10.00 am
Eventforum Bern, Fabrikstrasse 12, 3012 Bern
Final Event SPEED2ZERO
25.02.​2026,

SNSF Starting Grants and Ambizione Fellowships

Information for Interested Parties 

Aquascope

Real-time underwater imaging

Research Projects

Investigation of the Resilience and Adaptability of Quagga Mussels

Epigenomics of rapid adaptation in invasive Quagga mussels
A multi phase research program by Eawag and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)

Climate Change and Freshwater Biodiversity
Together with climate change, biodiversity loss is the most pressing environmental crisis of our time. The "Translational Centre Biodiversity Conservation" bundles knowledge and makes it generally available. In collaboration with key Swiss stakeholders, the Centre identifies topics for knowledge exchange, translation, and synthesis, and communicates and distributes the resulting synthesis products.

Translational Centre Biodiversity Conservation (TCBC)
The architecture of community structure, functional traits and trophic networks across blue-green ecosystems

Architecture of blue-green communities
Dieses Projekt leistet einen Beitrag zur Blue Green Biodiversity Research Initiative - einer Eawag-WSL-Kollaboration, die sich auf die Biodiversität an der Schnittstelle von aquatischen und terrestrischen Ökosystemen konzentriert.

Warming-related community turnover in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems
Why do toxic cyanobacteria bloom? A gene to ecosystem approach...

Cyano Bloom
Understanding and measuring how flow intermittency drives biodiversity and river functions in an alpine environment

Alpine Streams and Flow Intermittency
An Eawag-WSL collaboration focusing on Biodiversity at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Blue Green Biodiversity Research Initiative

More current Research Projects

Latest publications

Knüsel, M., Couton, M., Alther, R., & Altermatt, F. (2025). Die Grundwasserfauna schützen. Aqua & Gas, 105(12), 34-39. , Institutional Repository

Im Grundwasser lebt eine einzigartige Vielfalt an mikrobiellen und wirbellosen Organismen. Diese Organismen tragen zum Funktionieren der Grundwasserökosysteme bei. Neue Studien zeigen jedoch folgendes Bild: Menschliche Einflüsse wirken sich auf die Grundwasserfauna aus, zudem ist die Biodiversität im Grundwasser in landwirtschaftlich intensiv genutzten Gebieten stark ver-ringert. Sowohl beim Schutz als auch bei der Überwachung der Grundwasserorganismen besteht  nach wie vor Handlungsbedarf. 
Travers-Cook, T. J., Knight, S. J., Lee, S., Jucker, J., Schlegel, T., Jokela, J., & Buser, C. C. (2025). Totivirus-satellite coinfection prevalence and host genotype associations in wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 101(12), fiaf117 (11 pp.). doi:10.1093/femsec/fiaf117, Institutional Repository

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is occasionally infected by dsRNA totiviruses and their toxin-encoding dsRNA satellite nucleic acids. The autonomous totivirus and its satellite can coexist but with an asymmetric dependence of the satellite on the totivirus for replication and maintenance inside the host cell. Satellites provide their yeast hosts with inhibitory toxins and the necessary self-immunity; loss of the satellite equates to loss of toxin immunity. Because these viral elements lack known extracellular stages, and sex is suspected to be rare, they are assumed to be transmitted vertically, implying that infection states should correlate with host genotypes. However, totivirus-satellite coinfections are rarely examined in natural populations, leaving their associations with host genotypes poorly understood. We screened a multiyear, vineyard-associated population of S. cerevisiae isolates from New Zealand to examine the stability of host-virus associations over time, both within and across genotypes. Over half of the wild isolates harbored infections (55%), but less than half of these (37% of infected) had toxin-encoding satellites. Genotypes that persisted across years typically maintained consistent infection states. However, we also observed stepwise transitions from coinfection through infection to an infection-free state, as well as acquisition of totiviruses and satellites. Genotypes clustered strongly by infection state, and population heterozygosity was significantly lower than expected, supporting vertical transmission while suggesting that outcrossing is not responsible for the acquisition of higher infection states. Despite occasional intragenotypic transitions, genotype clustering by infection state remained intact, suggesting that such transitions are transient and that host genotypes may have optimal infection states with regard to totiviruses and their satellites.
Weber, A. A. T. (2025). From pipeline to network: we need to redefine scientific success. PLoS Biology, 23(12), e3003531 (5 pp.). doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3003531, Institutional Repository

The traditional pipeline view of academia no longer reflects the reality of scientific careers. Reframing success as a network of paths recognizes excellence in its many forms, fostering a more inclusive, resilient, and socially engaged research culture.

Further publications