Department Fish Ecology and Evolution

Fish Ecology & Evolution (FishEc)

We study ecology, evolution and biodiversity of fishes and other aquatic organisms. We are interested in the mechanisms that drive the origins, the maintenance and the loss of species, genetic and functional diversity.

 

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News

Otto Jaag Prize awarded twice for 2025

The melting of glaciers is changing food webs in aquatic environments, as seen here in Greenland, but also in alpine regions. (Foto: Coralie Moccetti)
March 13, 2026 –

Using isotope markers to break down food webs and track changes in them, as well as tracing the pathways and accumulation of pollutants in aquatic organisms – the Otto Jaag Water Protection Prize was awarded in 2025 for two...

Using isotope markers to break down food webs and track changes in them, as well as tracing the pathways and accumulation of pollutants in aquatic organisms – the Otto Jaag Water Protection Prize was awarded in 2025 for two exciting and highly topical doctoral theses.
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Obituary for David Alexander Marques (1984 - 2026)

portrait David Alexander Marques (1984 - 2026)
January 30, 2026 –

It is with immeasurable sadness that we announce that David Marques passed on January 7th at the age of 41 after a long and very courageous battle with cancer. David was a PhD student of Ole, Laurent and Katie Wagner from 2012 to...

It is with immeasurable sadness that we announce that David Marques passed on January 7th at the age of 41 after a long and very courageous battle with cancer. David was a PhD student of Ole, Laurent and Katie Wagner from 2012 to 2016 at IEE and Eawag.
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SRF report "Research in Swiss Rivers"

Out and about with the electric fishing boat: the fish are caught, briefly stunned, fitted with a transmitter, and then released back into the water.
October 24, 2025 –

In this report, SRF Regionaljournal Aargau Solothurn provides information about our project ‘Climate Change and Fish Movement Patterns’. This relatively new research project in the major rivers of Aargau is attracting widespread...

In this report, SRF Regionaljournal Aargau Solothurn provides information about our project ‘Climate Change and Fish Movement Patterns’. This relatively new research project in the major rivers of Aargau is attracting widespread public interest.
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Exceptional diversity of whitefish

Pair of whitefish (C. lavaretus) spawning near the shore in Lac d'Aiguebelette (Photo: Alamy).
May 9, 2025 –

The diversity of whitefish species in Swiss lakes is unique and plays a central role in lake ecosystems. A comprehensive Eawag report now summarises the results of 150 years of research on these fish. They make it clear that the...

The diversity of whitefish species in Swiss lakes is unique and plays a central role in lake ecosystems. A comprehensive Eawag report now summarises the results of 150 years of research on these fish. They make it clear that the mechanisms and environmental conditions that have contributed to their development must be taken into account in order to preserve this species diversity. Last but not least, protecting whitefish diversity helps to preserve the natural yield potential of lakes as a source of food for humans.
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More News from the Department of Fish ecology and evolution

Eawag News

Seminars

18.03.​2026,
15.04.​2026,
20.05.​2026,

Latest Publications

Ahi, E. P., Sturmbauer, C., Albertson, R. C., & Singh, P. (2026). Molecular basis of variations in facial soft tissues: insights from cichlid fishes. Developmental Biology, 529, 200-212. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.10.014, Institutional Repository

The human face serves as a crucial component of attractiveness and identity, playing a pivotal role in social interactions. Teleost fish models, particularly zebrafish, have offered valuable insights into the developmental and molecular mechanisms governing craniofacial skeletogenesis, owing to the molecular conservation in these processes. However, knowledge regarding the morphogenic processes shaping facial soft tissues remains surprisingly sparse. On the human side, most causal evidence comes from gene–phenotype associations in clinical genetics; however, these studies rarely provide cellular-resolution analyses of facial soft tissues, leaving tissue- and cell-type–specific mechanisms unresolved. The diverse family of Cichlidae constitute ∼10 % of teleost fish species and represent an exceptional opportunity for evolutionary biology research due to their extensive ecological diversity and rapid speciation rates. Cichlid fishes also exhibit remarkable craniofacial morphological diversity, making them excellent models for studying both craniofacial skeletal and soft tissue morphogenesis. Utilizing the wealth of natural mutants within cichlid populations, this short review pitches cichlid fish models as valuable tools for investigating the genetic regulators and interactions underlying facial soft tissue formation. At present, most cichlid studies rely on comparative transcriptomics between closely related species with and without pronounced traits; these data are associative, and the regulatory hierarchy and primary drivers remain to be established through functional tests (e.g., genome editing). By synthesising developmental and regulatory mechanisms that influence morphological variations in facial soft tissues in cichlids and other model organisms, we create a blueprint for future molecular genetic investigations into facial diversity. Accordingly, we highlight the need for (i) causative functional studies in cichlids and (ii) cellular-resolution analyses of human facial soft tissues to bridge correlative and mechanistic evidence across systems.
Altermatt, F., Boissezon, A., Hug Peter, D., Matthews, B., Peter, A., Schindler, W., & Schmidt, B. (2026). Biodiversität der Gewässer. In Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT), Forum Biodiversität Schweiz (Ed.), Swiss Academies reports: Vol. 21(1). Biodiversität in der Schweiz verstehen und gestalten. Zustand, Entwicklung und Lösungsansätze - Ergebnisse aus Forschung und Monitoring (pp. 158-190). Bern: Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz. , Institutional Repository

Research Projects

How will climate change alter the phenology, biomass, and nutritional quality of cross-ecosystem fluxes?

Nutritional phenology with climate change
Coral adaptation to the future climates

simulating response of red sea coral species to rising temperatures
Tropical Reef. Credit Conor Waldock
Simulating the roles of dispersal, thermal tolerance, and adaptive potential in tropical reef fish responses to climate change

simulating tropical fish biodiversity
In this large-scale study we investigate the effects of climate change on fish movement patterns in the Swiss Rhine-Aare River network

Climate change and fish movement patterns

More research projects