The Christian Doppler Laboratory investigates the complex meta-ecosystem of the Austrian Danube to develop sustainable ecological measures for future management

Joined August 2022
45 Photos and videos
1 Oct 2025
Throwback to an inspiring evening at the Science Slam 🎤🔬 A big thank you to Johannes Kowal for presenting our project in such an engaging way! 👏✨ @verbundag @viadonau @BOKU_IHG credit: CD Forschungsgesellschaft/APA-Fotoservice/M.Reither
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29 Aug 2025
Congratulations to Moritz Benz 🥳. He successfully defended his MSc thesis in which he examined the important role of connected tributaries for cyprinid fish species. @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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26 May 2025
Our team has published another paper! The study investigates the reproductive ecology of three rheophilic fish species. 📖 Read the full study: sciencedirect.com/science/ar… @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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9 May 2025
Our team has published another paper! The study investigates over 100 years of longitudinal connectivity changes from the perspective of a migratory fish species. 📖 Read the full study: lnkd.in/d8t_cdhp @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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CDL MERI retweeted
Congrats to Johannes Schützenhofer & Massimiliano Sigfrido Grisorio on successfully completing their bachelor’s thesis! Supervised by Johannes Kowal & Thomas Hein, their research explores barriers & fish migration aids in the Austrian Danube system over time 🐟🌊
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21 Mar 2025
Lukas Sölkner successfully defended his Msc thesis with the title: Design and application of an SSR-GBAS marker system for migratory cyprinids - A genetic study on Chondrostoma nasus and Chondrostoma ohridanum. @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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17 Mar 2025
🐟🌿 #BiodiversityDays25 – "Together out of the biodiversity crisis" 🌍 🔹 Prof. Hein on Danube ecology & Biodiversity Barometer 🔹 Kowal & Borgwardt on water connectivity 🔹 Dr. Tschikof on Danube fish protection #Biodiversity #Danube #NatureConservation
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7 Jan 2025
We’ve just landed on Bluesky! 🌟 Follow us there and stay connected. 🚀bsky.app/profile/cdl-meri.bs…
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20 Dec 2024
Our sledding happens on the Danube, not the slopes! 🚤🛷 With lights and a camera on board, our custom sled explores the riverbed—where winter vibes meet underwater research. 🌊📽️ @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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4 Dec 2024
On Nov 22, 2024, the ÖK-IAD "Young Danube Research" event brought together 19 PhD students from 8 countries, including 5 from the Meri project, to pitch their research. oek-iad.boku.ac.at/ @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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29 Nov 2024
Our 2024 sampling campaign wraps up this week! Despite chilly nights, we tagged 2,000 more fish. Excited to see how many show up on our antennas next spring as they head to spawn—some already showing staring spawning rash! @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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31 Oct 2024
Thanks to the well thought-out installation, our antennas survived the September floods and delivered data. Only the antenna in the Schwechat had to be reinstalled, as parts of it were twisted by the sediment movement. @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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14 Oct 2024
The artist in residence (starts.eu/carlos-monleon-s-t…), Carlos Monleon-Gendall with the Local Expert Group of biennale.wien/, visited our experts from IHG, BOKU to discuss inputs for the project “Parliaments of Streams” @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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30 Sep 2024
New article! This study examines the impact of barriers, such as dams, on the longitudinal connectivity of river habitats for potamodromous fish in the Austrian Danube. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.20… @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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25 Sep 2024
New article! This study reveals the complex impacts of ship-induced waves on river ecosystems, stressing the need to consider both immediate and long-term effects on periphytic algae. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.… @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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30 Aug 2024
Successful installation of another PIT tag antenna in the Schwechat, a tributary of the Austrian Danube. This will provide us with further data on the migration of tagged fish in the Danube. @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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9 Aug 2024
Our team defies the sommer heat and is out in the field day and night. Just like the algae and macroinvertebrates, we defy the ship waves and explore the gravel banks with the fish at night. @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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8 Jul 2024
Praise AINOMUGISHA successfully defended her Msc thesis "QUANTIFYING RIVER FLOODPLAIN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF THE AUSTRIAN DANUBE AND ITS TWO TRIBUTARIES; TRAISEN AND MORAVA" @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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22 May 2024
Our team has published another paper! This study examines how dams impact the longitudinal connectivity of riverine habitats for potamodromous fish. sciencedirect.com/science/ar… @verbundag @via_donau & Österr. Bundesforste @BOKU_IHG
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