Aquatic Ecosystems
Aware of the tensions between the use and protection of water resources, Eawag carries out research on aquatic ecosystems such as streams, rivers and lakes. It is especially concerned with the restoration of near-natural habitats and with questions relating to the preservation of biodiversity. Eawag investigates the impacts of human interventions and the effects of climate change on water resources, and provides scientific foundations for successful restoration projects.
Research departments
The following research departments focus on aquatic ecosystems. The departmental webpages include detailed information on ongoing and completed research projects.
Research reports
European rivers under pressure
The Danube alone drains parts of 18 different countries and thus is the world’s most “international” river. For the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, Europe’s hydrogeographical, ecological and cultural diversity represents a major challenge. The development of river basin management plans required by the Directive should be facilitated by the Rivers of Europe project.
New whitefish species discovered
In Lake Lucerne, a new species of whitefish has been discovered by biologist Bänz Lundsgaard-Hansen and his colleagues from Ole Seehausen’s research group. The “Schwebbalchen” was determined to be a distinct species on the basis of precise measurements of 14 body shape traits, as well as analyses of genetic loci.
Optimizing river restoration efforts
Many Swiss watercourses are heavily engineered, and successful restoration projects require careful planning. Individual planning steps are defined in the Ecomorphology Level II method jointly developed by Eawag and the Federal Office for the Environment. The result is a plan in which measures are prioritized, indicating how the greatest possible improvements can be achieved with the resources available.