Benthic fauna in freshwater

An example of a challenge is gas supersaturation, which can occur downstream from hydropower plants (see research theme page on Gas Supersaturation). With gas supersaturation, fish and benthic invertebrates risk developing gas bubble disease, similar to decompression sickness in humans. Many benthic animals do not die immediately but float to the surface and are carried away from the ecosystem by the water flow. This issue needs to be taken seriously because the disappearance of fish and benthic invertebrates can have significant negative consequences for the entire ecosystem.

Considerable resources are devoted to preventing the loss of biodiversity in freshwater. However, it is no longer sufficient to just preserve nature; we must also actively restore degraded ecosystems.

Benthic animals are good indicator species and provide us with early signals of environmental changes. We have high expertise in benthic invertebrates and the environmental conditions required to ensure sustainable populations. The goal is to ensure that fish, benthic invertebrates, and other freshwater species have viable populations. To preserve and strengthen biodiversity in freshwater, we:

• Map species and study where different benthic invertebrates are found
• Monitor water quality and investigate how pollutants, nutrients, and climate changes affect ecosystems
• Analyze ecological relationships between benthic invertebrates, fish, and other freshwater species
• Develop restoration measures, such as habitat improvements, removal of migration barriers, and actions to enhance water quality
• Advise authorities on how watercourses can best be managed and restored