Nadine Ebm obtained her doctorate on 8 September 2025 with a successful defence at the University of Vienna.
Title of her thesis: Trophic pathways of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in stream food webs.
Congratulations!
As a result of a project funded by the European Federation of Freshwater Scientists (EFFS), a new publication by Lena Fehlinger et al. recently appeared in the renowned journal 'Limnology and Oceanography' – research that began primarily at WasserCluster Lunz:
Nutrients on the move: Investigating large scale fatty acid exports from European ponds via emerging insects.
https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70180
Pratiksha Acharya, PhD candidate at WCL, was awarded the 'Colin S. Reynolds Prize for the Best Oral Presentation' at the 14th Symposium for Freshwater Sciences (SEFS14, 20-25 July 2025, in Bolu, Turkey). Title of her talk: "Comparative analysis of bacterial assemblages in shredder-derived particles and the gut reveals taxa-specific differences."
Congratulations!
On 14 July, Katrin Attermeyer and Libor Závorka delivered a popular lecture as part of the Vienna Children's University. The young participants learned interesting facts about food webs, trophic levels, and the influence of energy flow on the ecosystem of Lake Lunz. The thought model also discussed the potential role of the lake monster Lunzi in maintaining the balance in the habitat.
The 28th edition of our institute's biannual newsletter has been published.
The "Environmental Research 2.0" project was successfully launched with a joint kick-off event at the Haus der Wildnis in Lunz. Pupils from six local schools get active with environmental research and modern technology. The focus is on regional forest and water ecosystems, which are explored as part of excursions, experiments, and research tasks. Using virtual reality experiences, citizen science apps, and AI-supported tools, participants learn how environmental research works, from data collection to result presentation.
The goal is to spark curiosity, promote scientific thinking, strengthen methodological skills, and create a deep awareness of ecological connections and sustainability.
A recent high-level award from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the carp pond farming system in the Waldviertel region is deservedly being celebrated at WasserCluster Lunz as well: the uniquely European recognition of an aquaculture system as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). Over many years of scientific work, the LIPTOX group led by Martin Kainz has studied trophic interactions in the ponds using biochemical tracers (such as stable isotopes, lipids, etc.), investigated food webs, and provided solid support on the path to becoming a model region through the project TeichFit.
