From 12th to 14th February the SIL Austria meeting 2014 took place at WasscerCluster Lunz. The aim of this meeting was to connect limnological research conducted in Austria with research pursued in neighboring countries, in particular with research centers/stations located in the Alps and close to aquatic ecosystems of scientific interest. Particularly young limnologists from Austria, Germany (Munich and Constance), Switzerland (EAWAG Dübendorf), France (Thonon-les-Bains), and Italy (Pallanza) participated at this meeting, presented their research, and most importantly decided to forge a common scientific future for limnology in the Alps. This and future meetings will strengthen our scientific research and aim for common future research strategies.
In the new 3 year FWF / NSC project "ECATA" – a joint project between Austria and Taiwan - soil scientists and aquatic ecologist from BOKU Vienna and WasserCluster Lunz cooperate with scientists from Taiwan to analyse the effects of extreme events on carbon cycling along the terrestrial – aquatic continuum in Taiwanese river systems.
The Austrian Broadcasting Company ORF was reported on some of findings of the project "FISK" (effects of sustainable fish feeds on somatic growth and polyunsaturated fatty acids in Arctic charr) that aims to reduce marine fish oil in modern, sustainable fish feeding.
In a new FWF funded project, the research group AQUA SCALE studies the role of dispersal for maintenance of diversity in plankton communities ...
The WasserCluster Lunz participated in the event „Enjoy Science“, a show-jumping course about science and research in Lower Austria at the IMC University of applied sciences in Krems from 6-7 Nov 2013. The aim of the event was to deliver students between 12 and 17 years an insight into the professional world of researchers and raise their interest in a scientific career. At the WasserCluster station, students simulated the behaviour of natural and regulated stream reaches by means of a stream model.
Streams and rivers form conspicuous networks and life therein figures among the most diverse on Earth. The common wisdom has been that biodiversity in these fluvial networks accumulates downstream similar to water and sediments. Combing sequencing with ecology, Katharina Besemer, Gabriel Singer and Tom J. Battin have now shown together with colleagues from Switzerland and the United Kingdom that this does not hold for microorganisms, which show their highest diversity in headwaters.
The "European Researchers' Night" took place in St. Pölten on 27th September 2013. During this pabn-European Event, various Research institutes, among them WasserCluster Lunz, presented their work in 300 European cities. By means of models of our different experimental stations, we explained current Research results in an informative and entertaining way. In total, 1500 People attended the event.
An international Workshop with Topic "Historical Ecology of Rivereine Fish in Europe" is taking place at WasserCluster Lunz from September 23rd to 26th.
A dedicated Group of international experts will meet to discuss recent issues in historical ecology of riverine fish and prepare a series of articles for a scientific Journal.