Almost half of European freshwater fishes at risk of extinction, new IUCN Red List reveals The updated European Red List of Freshwater Fishes – the most comprehensive assessment in 15 years – reveals little evidence of species recovery and calls for urgent action to protect Europe’s aquatic...

Almost half of European freshwater fishes 🐟 at risk of extinction, new IUCN Red List reveals 🧪

iucn.org/press-releas...

Effects of salinization on aquatic food webs Salinization is a global environmental threat to inland and coastal aquatic ecosystems. It is defined as an increased concentration of ions in water (…

New chapter 📢 How does #salinization affect aquatic #foodwebs? With @cunilleramontcusi.bsky.social, @mphebert.bsky.social, @zadereev.bsky.social, BKefford and MCañedo-Argüelles, we summarize effects across trophic levels and how they can propagate through the food web

Read here: shorturl.at/0YfLL

Next EPCN Webinar on Mountain ponds, introduced by Dr. Lena Fehlinger. The follow-up talk titled "Mountain Ponds and Climate Change: Thr CIMaE Project" is held by Dr. Marie Lamouille-Hebert, whose research focuses on mountain ponds, particularly aspects related to water permanence, climate change scenarios, and their implications for biodiversity.

Join the first EPCN webinar of 2026! 🌿💧

📅 18 May | ⏰ 11:00 CET
Topic: Mountain ponds

Featuring the new EPCN Mountain Pond WG by @lfehlinger.bsky.social & a talk on climate change impacts (CIMaE Project).

To receive the meeting link, please contact: european@pond-conservation.net

#ponds #webinar

Send your pond photos, along with your name and a short description, to european@pond-conservation.net.
• Deadline: April 25th 🗓️
• Maximum 3 photos per person
• You must own the rights to the image
• By submitting, you agree to publication on EPCN platforms

The sign displays amphibian species inhabiting the pond: Common toad (Bufo bufo), Grass frog (Rana temporaria), Alpine newt (Mesotriton alpestris), and Common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans). A plant species called wolf's-bane (Aconitum lycoctonum) is also listed.

The site hosts amphibian life: here’s a glimpse of the species supported by this pond. 🐸
• Bufo bufo
• Rana temporaria
• Mesotriton alpestris
• Alytes obstetricans

Small water bodies such as this one play a key role in providing breeding habitats.

A small pond created in the Swiss Jura mountains to provide habitats for amphibians. Under a blanket of snow, it is only visible thanks to the fence that surrounds it, a sign (also pictured) by the Nature Conservation agency responsible for it, and a few Typha emerging from the snow.

This month’s photo was taken in #Switzerland and submitted by Julie Fahy.

Hidden beneath a blanket of snow, this small #pond in the Jura mountains was created to support #amphibians, barely visible except for a fence and emerging stems of #Typha. ❄️

Submissions are open for next month's photo! 📸

Rapid evolution of zooplankton linked to urban transportation: Evidence from microgeography and resurrection ecology Urban roadway runoff represents a widespread pollutant in the process of urbanization, and its eco-evolutionary influence on aquatic organisms remains poorly understood. This study focused on the dom...

Urban #runoff can drive rapid evolution in aquatic organisms. A study shows increased tolerance to tire-derived pollutants in #zooplankton across both spatial and temporal scales, revealing how urbanisation shapes adaptive responses and influences future ecosystem resilience.
doi.org/10.1002/lno....

Local environmental and spatial processes, not land use, shape the taxonomic and functional structure of pond zooplankton communities - Aquatic Sciences Local environmental and spatial processes, in combination with surrounding land use, are considered key interacting mechanisms shaping the structure of aquatic communities. Traditional approaches have...

Study from Spain shows that functional traits better capture environmental and spatial effects on #pond #zooplankton communities than species data. Local environmental conditions were key drivers, while land use had limited influence, highlighting complex community dynamics.
doi.org/10.1007/s000...

Assessing the environmental and dispersal‐related drivers of an invasive aquatic plant in Great Lakes coastal wetlands Invasive plant species pose a major threat to wetland ecosystems. One effective way to control the spread of invasive plants is to intercept them early in the invasion process. Species distribution m...

New study shows that local dispersal, not just habitat suitability, drives the spread of invasive #EuropeanFrogbit in wetlands. Its occurrence is linked to proximity to existing populations, highlighting the need to include spatial processes in SDMs for early-stage invasions.
doi.org/10.1002/eap....

Environmental and geomorphological drivers of frog diversity on islands worldwide Island biogeography models primarily rely on island physical features and isolation to explain their biodiversity patterns. While newer models have incorporated functional traits to understand plant ....

New study on #island #frogs shows that island area and climate shape species richness, functional and evolutionary #diversity, while isolation plays a limited role. Highlights how #niche and geometric processes jointly structure #biodiversity.

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

🆕 A global review of global science on the societal impacts of #river & #wetland restoration.

Studies from 6 continents show that restoration delivers major gains for #water security, flood risk, food security, climate mitigation, cultural values & biodiversity.

wwf.panda.org/discover/our...

Interested in current literature on small #ponds?
The EPCN website collects international literature from #EPCN members:
www.europeanponds.org/publications...

🌱💧Are you a PhD student or postdoc interested in terrestrial AND aquatic ecosystems?
Join us at the 4th edition of our summer school on blue-green biodiversity in Davos.
Applications are now open.
@wslresearch.bsky.social @eawag.bsky.social
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

Bring back clean water to bring back freshwater life - Freshwater Habitats Trust Bringing back clean water to our landscapes is fundamental to reversing freshwater biodiversity loss.

Clean water is the foundation of life in freshwater, but it has become an increasingly scarce resource. 💦 Without it, we have no hope of reversing the declines in freshwater biodiversity.

How we are putting evidence into practice to bring clean water back to landscapes ⬇️

Praise for PONDS: “Patrick Lynch has created a completely unique, recognizable, and friendly concept and design for highly informative and much-needed natural history guides. Ponds is the latest of his stunning books, and I love it!”—Carl Safina, PhD, author of Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe “Pat Lynch has carved out a remarkable niche as the premier field guide author working today. His books are designed so that the outstanding illustrations and lucid writing work together seamlessly.”—David Skelly, Frank R. Oastler Professor of Ecology, Yale University, and director, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History “I love this book! Ponds is a stunning guide to pond life for the twenty-first century and offers bright and beautifully rendered illustrations and lots of new information. It is your own personal introduction to a colorful and magical world.”—James Prosek, artist, and author of Eels: An Exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World’s Most Mysterious Fish “A remarkable, comprehensive natural history of freshwater ponds and wetlands across the eastern United States. Beautifully illustrated with Patrick Lynch’s artwork and photographs, this is a must-have for all nature enthusiasts.”—Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon Society “I am the proud owner, and frequent user, of most of Pat’s books. His ability to weave together fascinating details and stunning visuals on just about any topic he chooses is unrivaled.”—Twan Leenders, director of conservation, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy

My newest book, shipping this Tuesday, March 10th!
a.co/d/7lmwuxU?ta...
🧪🌿🌎🪶🐡 #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #scientificillustration #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #ponds #lakes #freshwater

SS078 Urban waters under pressure: socio-ecological feedback and anthropogenic stressors in city ponds, streams and estuaries. Conveners: M. Ilić, K. I. Brans & Z. Horváth.

SS015 Drying waters: the science and management of “temporary” aquatic ecosystems. Conveners: R. Stubbington, R. Burrows, L. Fehlinger, L. Kuglerova & N. Bond.

Attending #ASLOSIL2026 in Montréal (12–16 May)?
Interested in temporary or urban ponds?

Don’t miss sessions SS015 “Drying waters” and SS078 “Urban waters under pressure”!

Join us to discuss the science & management of small waters. 💧🌍

Programme: www.aslo.org/aslo-sil-202...

We particularly encourage contributions from early-career researchers and projects fostering collaboration among academia, public administration and societal stakeholders.

We look forward to your contributions in Bilbao!

This session aims to strengthen scientific exchange and improve restoration practice for small water bodies across regions and disciplines.

Discussions will align with the objectives of the new European Nature Restoration Law (2024) and its implications for small waters.

Our Special Session “Conservation & restoration of small water bodies: advances & challenges” has been accepted for #AIL2026 in Bilbao (22–26 June).

We warmly invite abstract submissions, especially from early-career researchers and collaborative initiatives.🌿💧

Feel free to contact us for details.

Pond Restoration Training: 25th & 26th June 2026 — Freshwater Biological Association Ponds are increasingly being recognised as critical to biodiversity conservation in UK landscapes. This new two-day course will introduce participants to pond restoration science and best practice. Gr...

Interested in pond restoration? 🌿💧
The Freshwater Biological Association is offering dedicated training on pond restoration methods and practice.
Learn more and register here:
www.fba.org.uk/shop/p/pond-...

#ponds #restoration #freshwater

Monitoring small water bodies is challenging due to their large number and often remote locations. Therefore, we use remote sensing. This overview shows the most important water metrics and indices.

Send your pond photos, along with your name and a short description, to european@pond-conservation.net.
• Deadline: March 22nd 🗓️
• Maximum 3 photos per person
• You must own the rights to the image
• By submitting, you agree to publication on EPCN platforms

A pasture pond in the hills.

This month’s photo was taken in #Estonia and kindly submitted by Henn Timm.

A #pasture #pond in the hills: a reminder of the #biodiversity value of small #water bodies in #rural landscapes. 🌿💧

Submissions are now open for next month’s Photo of the Month! 📸

#wetland #conservation

Soon, thousands of #toads, #frogs, and #newts will be migrating again. To ensure their safe arrival, many volunteers are setting up toad fences, carrying the animals across roads, or creating alternative breeding #ponds.
Want to help too? Find all the information here:
www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pf...

Send your pond photos, along with your name and a short description, to european@pond-conservation.net.
• Deadline: February 22nd 🗓️
• Maximum 3 photos per person
• You must own the rights to the image
• By submitting, you agree to publication on EPCN platforms

Pond Restoration Training: 25th & 26th June 2026 — Freshwater Biological Association Ponds are increasingly being recognised as critical to biodiversity conservation in UK landscapes. This new two-day course will introduce participants to pond restoration science and best practice. Gr...

This @freshwaterbio.bsky.social #pond restoration training course 25th, 26th June is well worth attending. Learn how to restore degraded existing ponds & #ghostponds with Norfolk Ponds Project founders Carl Sayer & Helen Greaves:

www.fba.org.uk/shop/p/pond-...

A farm #pond we restored in 2014 showing multiple valuable habitats. Open water with submerged plants, a thick bed of Typha, lightly vegetated shallow shelving edge, bramble patch, woodland fringe, mini ancient woodland meadow (promontary on R) with early purple orchid. All this in a tiny footprint