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

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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How much water is left for nature? – The search for the appropriate environmental flow

July 2, 2025 –

After water is diverted for hydropower, rivers are often left with very little streamflow for nature. A new report provides an overview.

After water is diverted for hydropower, rivers are often left with very little streamflow for nature. A new report provides an overview.
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Gaining time in the fight against the quagga mussel

Filters and heat exchangers can protect infrastructures from clogging by mussels (Photo: Eawag, Linda Haltiner).
April 8, 2025 –

To contain the spread of the invasive quagga mussel, Eawag researchers recommend swift action based on comprehensive prevention, early detection and containment.

To contain the spread of the invasive quagga mussel, Eawag researchers recommend swift action based on comprehensive prevention, early detection and containment.
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Join our events

21. - 22.10.​2025,
9.00 am
Vogelwarte Sempach
Wirkungskontrolle Revitalisierung – Avifauna

PEAK-Vertiefungskurs V61/25

13.11.​2025,

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

Bruni, S., Wanner, L., Grolimund, A., & Robinson, C. T. (2025). Long-term changes of alpine stream macroinvertebrates in relation to glacial recession. Aquatic Sciences, 87(4), 105 (19 pp.). doi:10.1007/s00027-025-01232-9, Institutional Repository

Alpine landscapes are being rapidly transformed, being fueled by ongoing environmental change and glacial recession. Glacial recession has caused emergence of new stream channels as well as changes in the physico-chemistry of surface waters embedded in glaciated landscapes. Our research examined temporal changes in the physico-chemistry and macroinvertebrates during (1) the elongation of a glacial stream and (2) among different alpine lake networks (inlets, outlets, and downstream sites) over the last 24/25 years. The glacial stream study revealed rapid colonization of the emergent stream following deglaciation as well as colonization of previous sites by novel taxa (some from lower elevations). The water physico-chemical data revealed changes in the habitat template of sites over the study period, especially in respect to water temperature and turbidity. The lake network study also showed changes in macroinvertebrate assemblages over the observation period as well as differences on the basis of lake location and type. Here, lake outlet water temperatures increased more over time at northern than southern Alpine lakes. Further, kryal and rhithral lake outlets differed in response regarding water physico-chemistry and macroinvertebrate diversity. Both studies highlight the importance of monitoring alpine surface waters for better understanding of abiotic and biotic responses to landscape transformation resulting from ongoing and rapid environmental change, especially in relation to glacial recession.
Vivien, R., Martin, P., Pawlowski, J., & Alther, R. (2025). Adapting practices to accelerate the scientific description of invertebrate cryptic species. Biology Letters, 21(10), 20250385 (6 pp.). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2025.0385, Institutional Repository

Formally describing cryptic species is essential for conservation and protection purposes and to enable their use in environmental monitoring. The current scientific practice in many invertebrate groups requires assigning the original morphospecies name to a particular genetic lineage before formally describing the other lineages of the morphospecies and providing an exhaustive morphological characterization for each described lineage of the morphospecies. These practices considerably delay—and may even hinder—the scientific description of cryptic species. Furthermore, it may lead to confusion if the same name refers to both the entire morphospecies and a particular lineage. Here, we propose some recommendations to accelerate the description of cryptic species and avoid taxonomic confusion. They include assigning a new name to each lineage of the morphospecies without (necessarily) first obtaining DNA from the morphospecies holotype or paratype(s) or designating a neotype, providing a basic morphological diagnosis in the cryptic species descriptions, and systematically following the morphospecies names by 'sensu lato' or 'species group' when referring to the entire morphospecies and by 'sensu stricto' when referring to the original lineage. Our recommendations could contribute to rapidly increasing the proportion of scientifically described cryptic species and enhancing the consideration of cryptic species in ecological assessments and conservation/protection programmes.
Gubler, S., & Robinson, C. T. (2025). Synthese. In S. Gubler & C. T. Robinson (Eds.), Nationalpark-Forschung in der Schweiz: Vol. 110. Alpine Ökosysteme im Schweizerischen Nationalpark. Die Seenplatte Macun (pp. 213-216). Bern: Haupt Verlag. , Institutional Repository

Further publications