Session List

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Scientific Sessions

SS001 Ecology, management, and conservation of temporary aquatic ecosystems

Luciana Barbosa, Federal University of Paraiba ([email protected])
Elizabeth Meyer, Institute for Evolution & Biodiversity ([email protected])
Elizabeth Walsh, University of Texas at El Paso ([email protected])

Global climate change is expected to exacerbate the drying out of temporary freshwater ecosystems worldwide, thereby altering their biodiversity and functionality. Drying can lead to biodiversity decline, reducing the resilience of these ecosystems in the face of climate change and other intensifying human pressures. Over the past few decades, intensified research has shed new light on the ecology of temporary ecosystems, which limnologists have long(widely?) overlooked. Temporary freshwater ecosystems (TFEs), including lakes, ponds, wetlands, and streams, make a substantial contribution to biodiversity and biogeochemical processes, providing essential ecosystem services to humans. This session will therefore showcase exciting, up-to-date limnological research exploring temporary aquatic ecosystems. We aim to explore drying ecosystems from biological, biogeochemical, ecological, hydrological, and physical perspectives while recognising them as socio-economic systems. The drying of freshwater ecosystems occurs across all continents, and this session will present advances in international research conducted by scientists studying systems ranging from hot, arid lands to cold, wet regions. As these ecosystems become more prevalent in our changing world, this multidisciplinary session will demonstrate how collaboration between scientists and managers from around the globe enhances our understanding of temporary aquatic ecosystems and improves our ability to manage them effectively.

SS002 Gassy Waters: Advances in Understanding and Measuring gas fluxes across the aquatic continuum

Konstantinos-Marios Vaziourakis, Uppsala University ([email protected])
Katrin Attermeyer, WasserCluster Lunz ([email protected])
Marco dos Santos, Energy Planning Program/COPPE/UFRJ ([email protected])
Britt Bertolet, Rutgers University Newark ([email protected])
Ulisse Cardini, Genoa Marine Center - Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn ([email protected])
Jorge Machado Damazio, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro ([email protected])
Kerri Finlay, University of Regina ([email protected])
Meredith Holgerson, Cornell University ([email protected])
Ellinor Jakobsson, Uppsala University ([email protected])
Todd Kana, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science ([email protected])
Abigail Lewis, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center ([email protected])
Joseph Rabaey, University of Minnesota-Duluth ([email protected])
Jiapeng Wu, Guangzhou University ([email protected])

Aquatic ecosystems, including ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, coastal zones, and human-made environments (e.g., hydroelectric reservoirs), play a vital role in the cycling and exchange of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gassy waters act as both sources and sinks of GHGs, as well as other gases like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and trace pollutants. Gas fluxes are shaped by a complex interplay of biogeochemical, hydrological and ecological processes which are spatially variable and temporally dynamic. Accurate and rapid gas measurements in both liquid and air phases are essential for understanding key biogeochemical processes and pollution. Advances in measurement techniques, such as membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS), have revolutionized our ability to quantify dissolved gases and their isotopologues with high sensitivity in applications spanning from single-cell scale to whole-ecosystem.

This session aims to bring together the latest research on GHG fluxes and related processes across the aquatic continuum. We welcome studies ranging from process-based experiments to landscape-scale assessments, and from model development to high-frequency or long-term monitoring. We furthermore like to hear about studies addressing sources, sinks, spatial and temporal variability, controls on GHG emissions, methodological advances, and modeling efforts. Our goal is to bring together the latest research and foster interdisciplinary dialogue to assess where the field stands and where it's headed. By synthesizing recent findings from diverse systems and approaches, we seek to assess the current state of knowledge and identify key directions for future research in the context of aquatic biogeochemistry and global climate change. Whether your waters bubble, breathe, or burp—join us to help map the current state of gas research in aquatic ecosystems.

SS003 Temporal trajectories in aquatic C cycling on a changing planet

Adam Heathcote, St. Croix Watershed Research Station ([email protected])
Jean-Francois Lapierre, Université de Montréal - GRIL ([email protected])
Václava Hazuková, University of Umea ([email protected])
Candice Aulard, UQAM ([email protected])

The importance of aquatic ecosystems on the global C cycle is well established but constraining the stocks and fluxes of C into and through these systems is a moving target. Additionally, though there is a close relationship between terrestrial and aquatic systems, full integration of C balances across the land-aquatic continuum are rarely carried out, making it difficult to consider the overall landscape balance. We know that rates of greenhouse gas exchange, carbon burial, and C export are mediated by various environmental factors which are in turn affected by anthropogenic perturbations that can manifest as global change drivers (i.e., climate change, atmospheric deposition, land-use change). As our estimates of contemporary global fluxes of C become increasingly precise, it is an opportune time to pivot to better understanding their main drivers to more effectively integrate aquatic systems into landscape C cycle models, to ultimately predict the future role of aquatic systems in the regional and global C mass balance. Ranging from inter-annual to millennial scales, temporal trajectories can provide historical context of how we arrived at our current state, describe natural levels of variations within which recent disturbances are expressed, and better inform future predictions on a changing planet. We welcome submissions on a diverse range of topics that pertain to aquatic C cycling with an explicit focus on time and environmental covariates. We hope to bring together researchers working in the fields of paleolimnology, long-term monitoring, large scale studies and modeling and encourage presenters at all career stages to join our session.

SS004 Physical Limnology: Dynamics, Drivers, and Change in Inland Waters

Mathew Wells, University of Toronto ([email protected])
Sally MacIntyre, University of California, Santa Barbara ([email protected])
Leon Boegman, Queen's University ([email protected])
Cary Troy, Purdue University ([email protected])
Jason Olsthoorn, Queen's University ([email protected])

This session explores the physical processes that govern the behaviour of lakes and inland seas, emphasizing the role that physics of mixing, transport and stratification have in driving biological and chemical processes in aquatic systems. We invite contributions that investigate the physical dynamics of lakes across spatial and temporal scales, from ponds and small lakes through to large systems such as the Great Lakes.We particularly welcome studies that integrate field observations, laboratory experiments, and modelling approaches to reveal new insights into the physical functioning of lakes under changing environmental conditions.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Hydrodynamic processes such as surface and internal waves, currents, turbulence, stratification, and ice dynamics.
Coupling of physical and biogeochemical processes in lakes Interactions between lakes and the atmosphere, including exchange of gases
The influence of climate change on lake thermal structure, mixing regimes, and seasonal ice cover.
Sediment transport processes in lacustrine environments.
Advances in observational techniques, remote sensing, and numerical modelling of physical lake processes.

This session aims to foster conversations among limnologists, coastal oceanographers, and modellers to deepen our understanding of how the physics of lakes respond to and influence broader environmental systems.

SS007 Sustaining Safe Drinking Water and Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems in the Asia-Pacific (2nd AP-GLEON)

Christopher Keneally, The University of Adelaide ([email protected])
David Hamilton, Australian Rivers Institute ([email protected])
Arianto B. Santoso, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) ([email protected])
Man Xiao, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ([email protected])

Securing safe drinking water without sacrificing ecosystem health is an urgent, shared challenge across the Asia-Pacific. The Asia-Pacific Chapter of the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (AP-GLEON) tackles this challenge by pairing high-frequency, in-situ sensor networks with satellite and drone imagery and by leveraging the value that comes from an open, collaborative community of researchers, managers and technologists.

This session (our second formal AP-GLEON gathering) will showcase how real-time monitoring and cross-site collaboration are transforming water-quality science and practice in the region. We invite contributions that:

Exploit high-frequency data: to diagnose and forecast algal blooms, hypoxia, taste-and-odour outbreaks, and other emerging threats.
Assess infrastructure–quality trade-offs: from large dam operations in China and Vietnam to reservoirs and smaller dams across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and throughout the entire region.
Integrate multi-platform observations (buoys, autonomous surface vehicles, drones, and similar sensors): to capture fine-scale dynamics and inform adaptive management.
Advance open tools and shared analytics: that turn raw sensor streams into actionable information for utilities and environmental agencies.
Bridge science and policy: highlighting successful examples of evidence-based interventions, co-designed monitoring programmes, stewardship, and governance.

Why it matters: between 2000 and 2019 algal-bloom frequency in Chinese lakes more than doubled, echoing recent surges in Indonesia, Australia, and other nations across the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, reservoirs already supply ~40 % of China's municipal drinking water and an expanding share elsewhere, linking human health directly to lake and reservoir conditions. By pooling high-resolution data and regional expertise, AP-GLEON is uniquely positioned to develop rapid-response tools and best-practice guidelines that scale from local catchments to continental assessments.

We particularly encourage submissions from early-career scientists and colleagues in under-represented parts of the Asia-Pacific to ensure broad geographic and cultural representation. Presentations may take the form of traditional talks, lightning rounds, posters or data-demo sessions. A concluding panel will synthesise key insights and outline priorities for cross-site experiments, shared data infrastructure and policy engagement ahead of the next AP-GLEON workshop.

Join us at the ASLO-SIL 2026 Aquatic Confluence in Montréal to accelerate the science, people, and knowledge needed to keep Asia-Pacific lakes safe to drink and healthy for generations to come.

SS009 The Next Frontier in Aquatic Sciences: Linking remote sensing, data science, modeling, and open science to better understand aquatic ecosystems

Robert Ladwig, Aarhus University ([email protected])
Michael Meyer, U.S. Geological Survey ([email protected])
Rachel Pilla, Oak Ridge National Laboratory ([email protected])
Laura Soares, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research ([email protected])
Marina Amadori, University of Trento ([email protected])

In times of an increasingly uncertain climate and growing demand for water resources, there is a need for assessing how aquatic systems worldwide are responding to co-occurring human and climatic disturbances. Over the past half century, remote sensing technology, high performance and cloud computing infrastructure, machine learning techniques, open data practices, and widened training in computer programming have created extraordinary opportunities to expand aquatic science research across spatial and temporal scales. Remote sensing of chlorophyll concentrations has enabled near-global monitoring of algal blooms. Data science and machine learning methods have empowered the prediction of water quality dynamics, while also informing management actions. Process-based models have improved our understanding of environmental fluid dynamics, which can be consequential for ecosystem regime shifts. Open data practices have increased the amount of publicly available data that many calibration and validation techniques ultimately demand. The nexus of data science, remote sensing, modeling, and open science in the aquatic sciences is a dynamic, rapidly progressing space, where novel research questions can be answered at unprecedented scales.

Given these developments, there can be a lingering question of "What's next?" To date, many aquatic remote sensing, modeling, and data science efforts have focused on measuring or predicting individual parameters or variables. While these individual efforts are herculean initiatives, a ripe frontier for this nexus is linking limnological, hydrological, oceanographic, and ecological processes and principles with remote sensing, data science, and modeling techniques to understand fundamental properties of aquatic systems and inform monitoring at local-to-global and subdaily-to-decadal scales. Additionally, the increase of open science and data democratization brings the potential for a more novel and far-reaching scientific research and expanding community.

To build a conversation around multifaceted developments in the aquatic sciences, this session invites contributors to share how they use one or a combination of remote sensing, data science, modeling, or open science practices to expand the fields of limnology, oceanography, hydrology, or ecology. We envision this session will host a range of presentation topics, including but not limited to novel methods for atmospheric corrections, scaling of cloud and other high-volume computing environments, assessing water quantity and quality across spatial and temporal scales, quantifying long-term changes in mixing dynamics, merging process-based modeling and deep learning, and applying data-intensive techniques for basic and applied research questions. While submissions may stem from methodological and technical hurdles encountered in remote sensing and data science fields, we challenge submissions to focus on how their efforts de-silo the aquatic sciences from the remote sensing and data science arenas.

SS010 Advances in nutrient accounting approaches for management of inland and coastal waters: concepts, methods and applications

Dennis P Swaney, Cornell University ([email protected])
Roxane Maranger, University of Montreal ([email protected])
Nandita Basu, University of Waterloo ([email protected])
Estela Romero, Universitat de Barcelona ([email protected])

Methodological development of nutrient budget approaches to estimate anthropogenic nutrient sources to watersheds and their delivery to receiving waters has been an active area of research in recent decades. Upscaling and downscaling to address regional and local management questions are also of vital importance. Applications range from watershed to regional, national and even international scales, and thus methods and datasets must be developed that are appropriate for the scale of problems considered. Advancements in our understanding of trends in nutrient sources and processes, legacy sources, and spatiotemporal patterns are being achieved by using increasingly more accessible and more highly resolved data, with analytical frameworks that can accommodate spatial variation and temporal trends in sources (e.g. wildfires and biogenic sources of atmospheric deposition) and process parameters (e.g., nutrient contents of commodities, dietary changes, etc.), A key to better environmental management is improved understanding of nutrient loadings to inland and coastal waters and how climate, hydrology, land use change, natural geomorphometric features, and other factors influence them. Direct accounting methods, including material balances and related modelling approaches, are valuable for management and policy making because they relate impacts to various anthropogenic sources, and thereby facilitate development of management priorities. New modelling approaches and data resources continue to provide refinements in estimates of nutrient fluxes and their uncertainties. Presentations in this session will report on progress to date on methodologies currently in use or under development, recent applications of such approaches, and implications for environmental management and policy.

SS011 Aquatic Sciences on Ice: Physical and Abiotic Processes

Ryan Hutchins, Toronto Metropolitan University ([email protected])
Ryan Scott, York University ([email protected])
Yanan Li, Toronto Metropolitan University ([email protected])
Rebecca North, University of Missouri ([email protected])

Ice-covered periods define the physical environment of aquatic systems across much of the globe, from seasonally frozen lakes and rivers to perennially ice-covered polar waters. This session focuses on ice itself: its formation, structure, and evolution, alongside the physical and abiotic processes that operate during the ice-covered season, including stratification and mixing, solute exclusion, gas dynamics, and hydrology. As ice forms, thickens, and melts, it exerts powerful control over the movement of water, energy, solutes, and contaminants, processes that in turn influence habitat structure, biogeochemical fluxes, and lake–atmosphere exchange.

We invite contributions on the physics of ice formation and morphology, under-ice stratification and circulation, hydrology and water balance during freeze-up and melt, and gas exchange beneath the ice. Studies examining the transport and transformation of solutes and contaminants, including salts, nutrients, and emerging pollutants such as microplastics and PFAS, are especially welcome. This session also includes work on human-driven abiotic impacts, including road salt application, ice road construction, and artificial ice infrastructure such as arenas and outdoor rinks.

By centering physical and chemical perspectives, this session complements broader sessions focused on winter limnology and aquatic ecology. In the spirit of confluence, we encourage studies that link mechanistic understanding to applied management, climate adaptation, and long-term change in ice-affected aquatic systems.

SS013 Seasonal Confluences: ecology under ice and its year-round effects

Rebecca North, University of Missouri-Columbia ([email protected])
Stephanie Hampton, UC Davis ([email protected])
Catherine Girard, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi ([email protected])
Marie-Pier Hebert, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières ([email protected])

Rapid changes in ice cover on water bodies worldwide create an urgent need for research focused on ecological and biogeochemical dynamics under ice, as well as their influence on cross-seasonal processes in freshwater ecosystems. Yet winter remains an understudied season in aquatic ecology, with significant knowledge gaps surrounding how ice cover affects ecosystem structure and function year-round. Widespread use of the term 'growing season' to describe summer months in temperate lakes reflects a prevailing viewpoint of winter as an inactive period. However, many winter studies now strongly suggest that winter food webs and ecosystem processes under ice are active, influential, and complex. Depending on ice and snow conditions, light under ice can fuel winter phytoplankton blooms that rival those of summer. Invertebrate grazers such as zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates as well as fish can be active in winter, responding to and benefitting from the nutritional content of coldwater primary producers. With water bodies effectively isolated by ice from the atmosphere, respiration can deplete oxygen, creating physiological stress for fish and other animals. Reduced oxygen strongly affects biogeochemical processes, liberating nutrients and pollutants from sediment and altering cycles of greenhouse gases. The transition from ice-covered to open-water conditions carries the legacy of winter processes, shaping ecological trajectories for the months that follow. These dynamics challenge the traditional notion of winter as a period of ecological stasis and highlight the importance of viewing lake processes through a full annual lens. We invite contributions that explore the ecological, biogeochemical, or cross-seasonal dynamics of ice-covered freshwater systems, from observational, experimental, or modeling perspectives, across diverse geographic regions and lake types.

SS014 Novel concepts and methods in food web research

Katalin Patonai, Université de Montréal ([email protected])
Ferenc Jordán, Institute of Biological Research ([email protected])
Simone Libralato, National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS ([email protected])

Food web research is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary driven by the need to tackle crucial questions at at time when ecosystems are being impacted at unprecented scales. With the emergence of big data and novel tools some of these complex questions can be better addressed. At the same time, there is an increasing need for mechanistic models, standardized open-access databases, and knowledge sharing of these novel methodologies.

Food webs ultimately capture the trophic relationships between community members enabling static description of a community to more advanced dynamic modeling in space and time. They also serve as powerful means for analysing ecosystem functioning (e.g., resilience, health, species' role) and for exploring trade-offs in socio-ecological systems. Nevertheless, the integration of diverse data types (e.g., satellite imagery, omics data, economic indicators) remains complex and non-intuitive.

This session invites contributions ranging from experimental to theoretical approaches in food web research. We particularly welcome studies that present new, integrative methods, including local case studies, and those with more general and broader implications. Talks that bridge disciplinary boundaries or incorporate unconventional data sources are especially encouraged.

SS015 Drying waters: the science and management of 'temporary' aquatic ecosystems

Rachel Stubbington, Nottingham Trent University ([email protected])
Ryan Burrows, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Water ([email protected])
Lena Fehlinger, GEA, Universitat de Vic UVic-UCC ([email protected])
Lenka Kuglerová, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences ([email protected])
Nick Bond, La Trobe University ([email protected])

Temporary aquatic ecosystems—which sometimes dry out—are widespread and diverse in Earth's critical zone, and their extent is increasing in both space and time due to climate change and other human pressures. Also termed non-perennial or drying waters—and including flashy ephemeral, seasonally intermittent and near-perennial waters—temporary aquatic ecosystems encompass lakes, marginal sediments, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands—both inland and in coastal areas. Particularly extensive in mediterranean and other dryland regions, temporary waters are also common in cool, wet climates. These dynamic ecosystems provide habitat for culturally important and threatened species and support biogeochemical cycles and wider ecosystem processes. Temporary waters also provide numerous ecosystem services, including recreational opportunities, spiritual benefits, and mitigation of floods and water scarcity.

Reflecting the increasing recognition of their dominance in global systems and their ecological, cultural and wider importance, research into temporary aquatic ecosystems continues to rise. This session thus aims to bring together colleagues from the diverse international community of scientists studying coastal, estuarine and both lotic and lentic freshwater temporary systems, as well as those working at the boundaries of these interconnected waters. Through sharing recent research and associated discussion, we aim to create new and strengthen existing connections among scientists, stakeholders and indigenous knowledge keepers, thus promoting advances in scientific understanding, and associated policies and practices.

This broad, interdisciplinary session welcomes contributions covering all topics and disciplines pertaining to aquatic sciences, including but not limited to biodiversity, biogeochemistry, hydrology, microbiology, ecology and social sciences, as well as research at the interface of multiple disciplines. We also welcome applied contributions covering aspects of conservation, monitoring, restoration and other management practices, to inform actions that help temporary aquatic ecosystems to adapt to increasing water scarcity. As the drying of aquatic ecosystems increases in our changing world, we hope to showcase how scientific advances can be applied to improve the ecological health of temporary waters and thus the benefits they provide to people.

SS016 Invasive Bivalves in Freshwater and Marine Systems

Bastiaan Ibelings, University of Geneva ([email protected])
Salomé Boudet, University of Geneva ([email protected])
Lyubov Burlakova, Great Lakes Center ([email protected])
Alexander Karatayev, Great Lakes Center ([email protected])
Piet Spaak, Eawag ([email protected])

Molluscs are the second largest group of animals, and in freshwaters molluscs now include not only some of the most threatened but also some of the most invasive species. Some of these invaders are powerful ecosystem engineers that have drastically altered native communities, disrupted food webs, changed biogeochemical cycles, and imposed substantial management costs globally. Particularly Dreissena rostriformis bugensis and D. polymorpha (quagga and zebra mussels, respectively) – have established themselves as important drivers of change in freshwater ecosystems. Their expansion into lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across North America and Europe has profoundly altered the balance between benthic and pelagic food webs, nutrient cycling, water clarity, and has caused important infrastructure damage. Originally native to the Ponto-Caspian region, quagga mussels have rapidly displaced zebra mussels in many regions and now colonize a broad range of environments, from deep oligotrophic lakes to eutrophic floodplain systems. This session focuses on the state of global research on mussel invasions in freshwater ecosystems, while equally inviting contributions that explore transitional zones such as estuaries or deltas and aims to offer comparative insights from marine invasion ecology. Our goal is to bring together scientists across disciplines ranging from invasion biology to benthic ecology, biogeochemistry, ecosystem modelling, and applied management to synthesize emerging knowledge and identify future research and policy priorities. We welcome contributions addressing amongst others: (i) mechanisms and pathways of invasion, (ii) population dynamics and dispersal modelling, (iii) impacts on native species diversity and ecosystem functioning, (iv) novel monitoring tools and molecular detection methods, (v) predictive modelling under climate change, (vi) risk assessment, management and control strategies. We are particularly interested in cross-system comparisons—freshwater vs. marine—in terms of invasion pathways, ecosystem impacts, and management responses. Lessons from marine invasion biology may provide important insights into invasion trajectories, resistance mechanisms, or mitigation strategies that can be applied to freshwater systems and vice versa. We especially encourage contributions from early-career scientists and underrepresented regions to foster an inclusive, globally informed understanding of invasive mussel dynamics.

SS017 Bridging the Fresh/Salty Divide: Bringing together freshwater and marine research to advance the aquatic sciences.

Jemma Fadum, Carnegie Institution for Science ([email protected])
Laura Falkenberg, University of South Australia ([email protected])
Tristan McKenzie, University of Gothenburg ([email protected])
AyoOluwateso Coker, Stanford University ([email protected])

While the fields of limnology and oceanography are closely related, individuals working in inland and marine ecosystems rarely find themselves in conversation with one another. This disconnect results in systematically siloed research efforts and challenges in communicating across disciplines, hampering advancements in both fields. In order to provide a formal platform for knowledge exchange across the Fresh/Salty divide, we invite submissions centered on coastal and ocean ecosystems with translatable findings to freshwater environments, inland water research which may have implications for our understanding of oceanography, and/or studies spanning across a salinity gradient. Any work broadly related to biogeochemistry, ecology, and microbial processes and community composition in the context of global changes and/or anthropogenic impacts is welcome. This research can include studies based on empirical observations whether field- or laboratory-based, theoretical work, methods development, and/or modeling. Towards the goal of facilitating conversation and discussion, we encourage the submission of research at all stages (from preliminary results to completed projects) from researchers and practitioners at all career stages. This follows a paired session at OSM in February 2026.

SS019 High Arctic limnology in rapidly changing landscapes

Frédéric Bouchard, Université de Sherbrooke ([email protected])
Stephanie Coulombe, Polar Knowledge Canada ([email protected])
Isabelle Laurion, Institut national de la recherche scientifique ([email protected])

As climate change accelerates across the circumpolar North, progressing many times faster than elsewhere on Earth, High Arctic limnoscapes are emerging as key sentinel environments. These freshwater ecosystems, including ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands, are abundant in high latitudes. They not only record environmental changes occurring in their watersheds but also actively influence adjacent landscapes, soils, and the atmosphere. Permafrost plays a central role in shaping local to regional limnological processes, including biogeochemical fluxes and the release of contaminants. Yet, seasonal dynamics remain understudied and are increasingly recognized as major drivers of ecological and biogeochemical change. This session invites limnologists from all fields—physical limnology, aquatic geochemistry, biological indicators, food web dynamics, remote sensing, permafrost–aquatic interactions, and modelling studies—to share their research on High Arctic freshwater systems. Our goal is to foster exchange and collaboration among researchers at all career stages, examining ecosystem processes and interactions across the diverse geographic regions of the circumpolar North.

SS020 Advances in lipid biomarker approaches to reconstruct past climates and ecosystems

Benjamin Gwinneth, Université de Montréal ([email protected])
Jules Blais, University of Ottawa ([email protected])

Lake sediments preserve an extraordinary archive of environmental change. Among the most rapidly advancing tools for accessing these archives are lipid biomarkers. The application of lipid biomarkers to paleolimnology has seen significant methodological and interpretive developments over the past decade, establishing them as central tools in the reconstruction of past climate and ecological dynamics.

This session invites contributions that explore the use of lipid biomarkers in lake sediment records to reconstruct past environmental conditions, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in analytical approaches, proxy calibration, and integrative interpretation. Innovations such as expanded calibrations of branched GDGTs for continental temperature reconstructions, compound-specific isotope analysis (e.g., δ¹³C, δ²H) of long-chain n-alkyl lipids such as plant waxes, and the development proxies such as stanols and bile acids have significantly improved the spatial and temporal resolution of paleoclimatic and paleoecological reconstructions. These approaches offer refined insights into changes in vegetation and hydrological regimes, as well as paleoecological responses, across time.

We welcome studies demonstrating the utility of lipid biomarkers for reconstructing a broad range of environmental parameters and ecological response. These molecular proxies have been deployed in diverse settings—from tropical crater lakes sensitive to hydroclimate variability, to Arctic and alpine lakes recording rapid deglacial transitions, to temperate systems documenting anthropogenic land-use and eutrophication histories. As a result, the spatial reach and thematic breadth of lipid biomarker applications have expanded substantially, and their integration with other proxy systems has become increasingly common. This session aims to foster dialogue across disciplinary boundaries—bringing together organic geochemists, paleolimnologists, paleoecologists, archaeologists, and climate scientists—to discuss the future of lipid biomarker proxies. Contributions are encouraged that address new biomarker applications, multiproxy reconstructions, challenges in compound interpretation, or methodological advances in quantification and calibration. Comparative studies and regional syntheses that link molecular data with ecological and climatic processes are especially welcome.

SS021 Effective strategies for controlling algal blooms across the freshwater-marine continuum

Alan Wilson, Auburn University ([email protected])
Christopher Gobler, Stony Brook University ([email protected])
Miquel Lurling, Wageningen University ([email protected])
H. Dail Laughinghouse, University of Florida ([email protected])

Algal blooms in freshwater and marine systems are often dominated by toxigenic cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates, respectively, that pose serious threats to aquatic food webs, animals, aquaculture products, and people. Consequently, many studies have been conducted over the past several decades that have tested a variety of approaches for controlling algal blooms, including chemical, ecological, engineering, and physical methods, that have had varying success. These studies highlight the complexity of managing water quality given that many abiotic and biotic factors influence the utility and duration of particular approaches for reducing algal abundance in diverse aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, treatment effects on non-target processes or organisms can, in some cases, worsen water quality problems. This session aims to bring together scientists, engineers, and water resource managers to share their experiences where they have evaluated diverse techniques for controlling algal blooms in freshwater and marine systems. Presenters will highlight lessons learned from their studies to educate others about strategies that worked or those that should be avoided and why. Large-scale examples that span time and space and show strong, consistent improvements as well as synthesis studies (i.e., systematic review and meta-analysis) are particularly encouraged. Discussions during this session will be focused towards compiling a journal Special Issue on this topic.

SS022 Floating Solar Energy in Inland and Coastal Waters: Ecosystem Responses and Sustainability Dimensions

Rafael Almeida, Indiana University ([email protected])
Regina Nobre, University of Toulouse ([email protected])
Simone Cardoso, Federal University of Juiz de Fora ([email protected])
Steven Grodsky, Cornell University ([email protected])

From small irrigation ponds to large reservoirs, floating solar photovoltaics (FPV) — solar panels installed on water bodies — are expanding rapidly worldwide as a low-carbon energy solution that takes advantage of underutilized water surfaces of artificial water bodies to minimize land-use conflicts. However, this emerging renewable technology raises critical questions about its impacts on aquatic ecosystems, water quality, and environmental management.

By shading the water surface, FPV systems can alter light penetration, water temperature and wind shear – impacting mixing regimes, evaporation rates, and key ecological and biogeochemical processes. These changes may influence thermal regimes, primary production, oxygen dynamics, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient cycling, and aquatic biodiversity. This session invites talks that explore ecological, biogeochemical, and water quality responses to FPV systems across lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and other water bodies. We are particularly interested in empirical studies, remote sensing analyses, modeling approaches, and management-oriented syntheses addressing topics such as changes in thermal structure, mixing, and oxygen dynamics; effects on nutrient cycling, harmful algal blooms, and drinking water quality; impacts on aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; interactions with other water uses, including hydropower, aquaculture, recreation, and fisheries; and strategies to minimize trade-offs while enhancing co-benefits.

Contributions that integrate ecosystem science with environmental management (e.g., reservoir operations, evaporation control) are also encouraged. By bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scientists, this session will advance our understanding of how floating solar affects aquatic ecosystems and provide insights for guiding its deployment in ways that balance both ecological integrity and sustainability.

SS023 Ecological effects of flow alterations, dam removals, and dam renewals: building the science to inform effective management of dams and hydropower operations

Jennifer Lento, Canadian Rivers Institute and University of New Brunswick ([email protected])
Philip Harrison, Canadian Rivers Institute and University of New Brunswick ([email protected])

Flow alteration by dams remains one of the largest threats to freshwater ecosystem health. Dams reduce connectivity and alter the magnitude, variability, and timing of flow, with direct consequences for fish movement, seasonal cues, and longitudinal and lateral energy transfer. Moreover, the construction of reservoirs shifts habitats from a lotic to lentic state and can facilitate species invasions and community changes. The benefits that dams provide to humans, including hydropower, flood mitigation, and recreation opportunities, must be balanced with the environmental impacts in a management context. However, we are still lacking the scientific foundation to understand direct and indirect ecological impacts of dams and how they might be alleviated through alterations to dam infrastructure and hydropower operations. Furthermore, many dams that were constructed in the early- to mid-20^th century are reaching their end of life, and there is an opportunity to understand the effects of dam removal and the best approaches for dam renewal to mitigate impacts.

This session aims to broaden our understanding of the ecological impacts of dams while also furthering research ideas that can help us move towards improved flow management and habitat connectivity that supports ecological functions. In addition, we welcome interdisciplinary talks that bring together the ecological, social, cultural, spiritual, and economic aspects of flow needs in relation to dams and hydropower. Topics relevant to this session include, but are not limited to:

Flow-ecology relationships in impounded systems Dam removal/dam renewal and ecological impacts Environmental flows framework development and application Ecological connectivity (lateral, longitudinal) in impounded systems Community shifts in reservoirs and regulated rivers

Given the global nature of this issue and the prevalence of dams and hydropower, we welcome submissions from all regions of the world.

SS024 Advancing the Global Ocean Biodiversity Atlas – Integrating Data for Conservation and Sustainable Management

Peter Busumprah, Ocean Rock Base ([email protected])
Olusola Adeoye, Natures Cares Resources Centre ([email protected])
Opoku Mensah Abrampah, Africa Ocean Alliance ([email protected])

This session aims to explore innovative approaches to developing and enhancing the Global Ocean Biodiversity Atlas through the integration of diverse, high-quality datasets. As ocean ecosystems face mounting pressures from climate change, pollution, and overexploitation, comprehensive and accessible biodiversity information is vital for effective conservation and sustainable management.

This session aims to address the UN Ocean Challenges 2 and 8 , which focuses on Restore and protect the biodiveristy and Ecosystem and Digital representation of the Ocean. It also focuses on SDG 9 & 14 which explores the Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and Life below water.

The session will also address challenges related to data standardization, interoperability, and sharing, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration. Case studies will highlight successful data integration projects that have informed policy decisions and marine protected area designations. By bringing together scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders, this session aims to identify best practices, technological advancements, and strategic priorities for advancing the Ocean Biodiversity Atlas.

This session aims to contributes to the UN Ocean decade endorsed project - African Ocean Biodiveristy Atlas under the Sustainable Ocean Planning Programme coordinated by UNESCO/IOC. Ultimately, it seeks to promote data-driven strategies that support the preservation of marine life, ensure sustainable use of ocean resources, and contribute to global efforts to safeguard ocean health for future generations.

SS025 Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Aquatic Ecosystems and Associated Food Webs

Lin Zhang, Texas A and M University Corpus Christi ([email protected])
Mark Altabet, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth ([email protected])
Pat Glibert, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science ([email protected])
Annie Bourbonnais, University of South Carolina ([email protected])
Darcy Perin, University of South Carolina ([email protected])

Aquatic ecosystems, ranging from the open ocean to coastal environments, are driven by intricate nitrogen (N) cycling processes that are essential for maintaining the health of these environments and the food webs they sustain. At the base of these food webs, primary producers such as phytoplankton play a pivotal role by assimilating N from various sources through both photoautotrophic and mixotrophic pathways. Autotrophy converts inorganic N to organic N, predominantly in the form of proteins and amino acids (AAs), which serve as the primary carriers of N as it moves through the food webs.

Identifying the sources of N in aquatic ecosystems and their associated food webs is crucial for understanding and modeling these cycling processes. This can be achieved through contemporary measurements of dissolved inorganic N (e.g., nitrate and ammonia) concentrations and stable isotopes, as well as by reconstructing historical N sources and usage patterns using organic N and their isotopes in biogenic particles and sediments. These investigations provide valuable insights into both the past and present dynamics of N cycling in open ocean and coastal environments.

Moreover, N cycling processes have significant implications for climate, as processes such as denitrification and nitrification can lead to the production of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas with long-term impacts on global warming. Understanding the factors that regulate N₂O production and release is therefore essential for predicting the broader environmental consequences of N cycling.

This session aims to bring together researchers utilizing a diverse array of methodologies, including isotope geochemistry, biomolecular tools, and numerical modeling, to explore N cycling in aquatic ecosystems and their associated food webs across both open ocean and coastal areas. By sharing insights and findings, this session seeks to deepen our understanding of N cycling processes across different aquatic environments, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of how N cycling influences ecosystem structure and function across various spatial and temporal scales.

SS027 C, N, P, and Stoichiometry Tea: The hottest insights on ratios from organisms to ecosystems

Isabelle Andersen, Miami University ([email protected])
Camille Minaudo, University of Barcelona ([email protected])
Nicole Wagner, Oakland University ([email protected])
Carly Olson, University of Wyoming ([email protected])
Helena Klip, University of Montana ([email protected])
Andras Abonyi, MTA-ÖK Lendület Fluvial Ecology Research Group ([email protected])
Xavier Benito, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) ([email protected])
Jacob Diamond, Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, UNESCO ([email protected])
Estela Romero, Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) ([email protected])

Ecological stoichiometry bridges the disciplines of physiology, community ecology, and biogeochemistry, by exploring how the relative availability and demand for elements like carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) shape ecological interactions from organisms to ecosystems. Organisms require specific elemental ratios to support growth and perform essential metabolic functions. In aquatic ecosystems, anthropogenic pressures including eutrophication and nutrient management practices are increasingly altering elemental ratios, often creating mismatches between organismal requirements and resource availability. Such mismatches can drive cascading effects across trophic levels, alter consumer-resource interactions and organismal physiology, and reshape ecosystem-scale nutrient and carbon biogeochemical fluxes. Due to the complex interconnectivity of nutrient dynamics throughout ecosystems, stoichiometric research at every level is important for understanding ecosystem function.

This session will spotlight the hottest new research across all scales of ecological complexity, highlighting work that explores how stoichiometric constraints, flexibility, and imbalances influence all areas of aquatic ecosystems. We aim to bring together researchers who study the effects of elemental ratios all the way from cellular and organismal levels to communities and ecosystem dynamics. We welcome submissions from all traditional areas of stoichiometry and the new frontiers that may include modeling approaches, integration of non-traditional elements (iron, silica, calcium) into stoichiometric frameworks, and anthropogenic influence on stoichiometric patterns. By bringing together diverse perspectives, study systems, and methodological approaches, this session aims to facilitate interdisciplinary conversations and spark new ideas about where ecological stoichiometry is headed next. Let's spill the tea and share the newest insights in stoichiometric research

SS028 Microbial Ecology Along the Inorganic to Organic Continuum: Unraveling Biogeochemical Interactions in Limnic and Marine Systems

Rachele Spezzano, Marine Biological Laboratory ([email protected])
Mona Norbisrath, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ([email protected])

As warming, acidification, eutrophication, and deoxygenation intensify under climate change, there is a growing need to understand aquatic ecosystems holistically. This requires bridging traditionally separate domains of marine and limnic sciences. This session invites contributions that examine dynamic interactions between the inorganic carbon system, microbial communities, and organic matter (OM) across freshwater, coastal, and open-ocean environments, spanning both the water column and sediments.

Microbes, from bacteria to phytoplankton and heterotrophic protists, play a central role in carbon cycling, driving biogeochemical processes through their metabolic diversity and ecological interactions. Their activity mediates the transformation of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and total alkalinity (TA), with implications for pH dynamics, ecosystem functioning, and carbon exchange at the air–water interface. While microbial metabolism drives CO₂ fluxes - from primary production to OM decomposition - changes in carbonate chemistry can, in turn, influence microbial diversity and activity. Carbon and nutrients exchange between water and sediments creates a coupled system in which microbial processes in one compartment influence biogeochemical dynamics in the other. Autotrophic microbes, such as cyanobacteria and other phytoplankton, consume DIC via carbon fixation, contributing to CO₂ drawdown and temporarily increasing pH. This surface productivity supports heterotrophic microbes, whose respiration remineralizes OM and regenerates DIC at depth. Calcifying organisms, such as coccolithophores and foraminifera, alter the carbonate system by removing DIC and TA during shell formation, but they are also impacted by ocean acidification (OA), which promotes carbonate dissolution and increases DIC and TA. All these processes are tightly linked to the carbonate system and influence its response to both natural and anthropogenic change. Microbial modulation of DIC and TA depends on community structure, functional diversity, nutrient availability and trophic interactions. However, it is strongly affected by dynamic physical processes such as surface stratification, vertical mixing, upwelling, and eddy-driven transport, which rapidly alter nutrient supply, redox conditions, and microbial community structure. Through this web of biotic and abiotic interactions, microbial ecology and carbon cycling are tightly coupled, jointly influencing how ecosystems respond to environmental variability and change.

We welcome observational, experimental, and modeling studies, particularly those that apply interdisciplinary approaches to link biogeochemical cycling, ecosystem functioning, and microbial ecology. This session aims to explore feedback between microbial activity and carbonate chemistry, including microbial mediation via respiration, carbon fixation, and nitrogen and sulfur cycling; the effects of organic matter degradation on pH and aragonite saturation; and how shifts in the carbonate system influence microbial community structure and function. We also encourage contributions on sediment–water column interactions, integrated modeling, or omics approaches, and the influence of water mass mixing in driving carbonate system variability. By bringing together biogeochemists, microbial ecologists, carbon cycle researchers, and modelers, this session will foster dialogue to advance our understanding of how coupled biogeochemical processes shape carbon dynamics and aquatic ecosystem resilience.

SS029 Harmful algal bloom mitigation and its consequences

Patch Thongthaisong, Laboratoire LEMAR, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France ([email protected])
Ovidio García-Oliva, Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon ([email protected])

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) induced by climate change and eutrophication threaten global water quality. For some regions, HABs are unavoidable, and their management consists mainly of bloom control, such as direct interventions to suppress or destroy HABs. However, interference in the bloom process might lead to negative consequences for the ecological community. For example, using pathogens to terminate a bloom of toxic algae may release toxins to the environment, and the addition of algicides may harm non-target species. This session aims to exchange knowledge beneficial to developing HAB control strategies that minimise the adverse outcomes of human interference. We invite theoretical and empirical studies addressing HAB control and its negative consequences, including mechanical, biological, chemical, genetic and environmental methods. Studies that illustrate mechanisms for the termination or decline of HABs are welcome. Synthesis, reviews and case studies are also welcome.

SS030 Eco-evolutionary feed-backs in limnology and oceanography

Alison Derry, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])
Andrew Hendry, McGill University ([email protected])
Julien Beaulieu, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])
Annabelle Fortin-Archambault, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])
Jennifer Fisher, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])

Eco-evolutionary dynamics are characterized by feed-backs in which ecological changes (e.g., shifts in temperature, resource availability, or predation pressure) act as selective forces, causing evolutionary changes in population traits (e.g., ecological tolerances, body size, growth rate, or behaviour). These evolutionary changes can then impact how the population interacts with its environment, potentially altering ecological processes such as species interactions (e.g., competition, predation, parasitism) or ecosystem-scale processes (e.g., trophic dynamics, nutrient cycling). Human activities are significantly altering freshwater, marine and coastal environments, creating new selective pressures and impacting eco-evolutionary dynamics. For example, fishing can selectively remove larger individuals from a population, leading to evolutionary changes in size and maturity, which can then affect population dynamics and ecosystem structure. Heat waves and ocean acidification are decimating coral reefs, yet some evidence for thermal tolerance and metacommunity-mediated dispersal offers hope for coral reef genetic and community rescue. Therefore, understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics is crucial for effective conservation and management of freshwater and marine resources, for understanding mechanisms that contribute to resilience to environmental change, and for improving our ability to predict future trajectories of biodiversity change to human impacts such as climate change, pollution, and habitat alteration.

Presentations in this session are invited to address all aspects of eco-evolutionary dynamics in freshwater, marine, and coastal ecosystems: the ecological importance of intraspecific variation, local adaptation and plasticity, ecological dynamics of natural selection, and reciprocal feed-backs between evolutionary processes in populations and ecological dynamics in communities and ecosystems. We invite studies that explore these themes from a wide diversity of study systems, from microbes to phytoplankton to zooplankton and invertebrates to fish. We encourage studies that embrace tools that integrate whole ecosystem responses such as ecological stoichiometry, paleolimnological applications, and whole ecosystem manipulations for addressing these themes. We invite studies that integrate genomic information for a mechanistic understanding of evolutionary changes, that consider the evolution of multiple species in community assemblages, as well as dispersal that can alter eco-evolutionary dynamics in metacommunities. We especially encourage studies conducted in natural settings.

SS031 Emerging ideas and technologies transforming aquatic trait-based ecology

Sarah Hasnain, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche ([email protected])
Marie-Pier Hebert, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières ([email protected])
Celia Symons, University of California, Irvine ([email protected])
Sierra Cagle, Texas A & M University at Galveston ([email protected])

Trait-based ecology has rapidly advanced over the past two decades, driven by a surge of data syntheses and technological breakthroughs in measuring functional traits in aquatic organisms. Emerging tools such as in-situ imaging systems, autonomous acoustic devices, and various -omics methods, are expanding the frontiers of how we observe and quantify traits. Coupled with machine learning, computer vision, and other AI-driven pipelines, these advances are revolutionizing how trait information is collected and analyzed at unprecedented scales and speeds. Collectively, these innovations are laying the groundwork for a new era in aquatic ecology, one where traits can be unified across organisms, communities, and ecosystems.

This session invites contributions from all aquatic systems that are pushing the boundaries of functional trait research, especially through the use of imaging, eco-acoustics, -omics or other novel tools as well as automated pipelines and other workflows to analyze large trait datasets. We welcome trait-based studies spanning observational surveys, experiments, and modeling, promoting integration across all levels of biological organisation, from molecules to ecosystems. We welcome contributions from undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other early-career scientists.

SS031 Emerging ideas and technologies transforming aquatic trait-based ecology

SS032 Microbial Interactions in Aquatic Environments: Mechanisms, Impact, and Future Directions

Shira Ninio, Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research ([email protected])
Bastiaan Ibelings, University of Geneva ([email protected])
Sarit Avrani, University of Haifa ([email protected])
Lisa Morales, University of Geneva ([email protected])
Hans-Peter Grossart, IGB ([email protected])

Microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, archaea, fungi, microalgae, and protists, are central components of aquatic ecosystems. Their interactions with each other and with their environment drive critical ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and energy flow. Understanding the mechanisms behind these interactions is essential for understanding ecosystem stability, resilience, and function. This session aims to explore the diverse microbial interactions within aquatic environments, focusing on cooperation, competition, predation, and parasitism, as well as their impact on ecosystem processes. Below are some of the areas we envision being featured on the session:

Co-evolution and Evolutionary Dynamics - Microbial interactions are not only central to ecosystem functioning but also serve as drivers of co-evolution. The reciprocal adaptations between microbial species shape the evolutionary trajectories of microorganisms in aquatic environments. These interactions influence genetic diversity, the emergence of new species, and the development of traits that enhance survival in specific ecological niches. Understanding the co-evolutionary dynamics within microbial communities will provide deeper insights into how aquatic microorganisms adapt to environmental pressures and co-exist within complex ecosystems.
Resilience of Ecosystems in the Face of Environmental Change - Microbial interactions play a crucial role in the resilience of aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the face of environmental stressors such as climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. These interactions can enhance the capacity of microbial communities to adapt to disturbances, maintain ecosystem functions, and recover from ecological disruptions. The session will address how microbial cooperation, competition, and other forms of interaction contribute to ecosystem stability and resilience, highlighting the adaptive strategies that microorganisms employ to maintain ecosystem balance under changing environmental conditions.
Bioremediation and Practical Applications - Microbial interactions are not only fundamental to the functioning of aquatic ecosystems but also hold great promise for addressing environmental challenges. The session will touch upon the potential of leveraging microbial interactions as tools for bioremediation. By harnessing specific microbial communities or interactions, it is possible to degrade pollutants, restore degraded aquatic ecosystems, and improve water quality. Examples of bioremediation strategies that utilize microbial cooperation or competition for environmental cleanup may be featured in the session.
Cutting-Edge Approaches and Future Directions - Recent advances in molecular tools and computational methods have revolutionized our ability to study microbial interactions in aquatic environments. High-throughput sequencing, metagenomics, and advanced bioinformatics are now enabling researchers to map the complex networks of microbial interactions with unprecedented detail. This session will emphasize the latest innovations in microbial ecology, such as the use of single cell genetics to track microbial interactions in real-time, and how these cutting-edge approaches are driving the field forward.

In conclusion, understanding microbial interactions—including those involving viruses, bacteria, protists, and other microorganisms—is vital for advancing our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems. This session will provide insights into how these interactions drive ecosystem processes, contribute to ecological resilience, and offer a perspective on future directions in microbial research. By exploring the evolutionary and ecological significance of these interactions, we aim to inspire new approaches in the management and conservation of aquatic environments.

SS033 Science at the Source: Mountain Lakes as Natural Laboratories for Understanding Global Change

Steven Sadro, University of California, Davis ([email protected])
Isabella Oleksy, University of Colorado Boulder ([email protected])
Katrina Eyvindson, University of Western Ontario ([email protected])
Sudeep Chandra, University of Nevada, Reno ([email protected])

Mountain lakes sit at the high-elevation confluence of the atmosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere, where environmental change can be rapid. Much of the change is driven by elevation-dependent warming, thawing glaciers, orographically enhanced precipitation, and increased atmospheric deposition of acids, metals, contaminants, and nutrients. The steep elevation gradients and comparatively high heterogeneity in landscape characteristics of mountain regions make their lakes ideal study systems for understanding mechanistic linkages, interactive effects, and cross-scale interactions among environmental drivers.

Our session seeks to report on responses of mountain lakes to global change across spatial and temporal scales. We aim to highlight the value of mountain lakes for understanding mechanisms underpinning lake processes more broadly. We welcome research that explores species and/or ecosystem responses to environmental change, including analyses of long-term datasets, space-for-time substitutions, field surveys, and model-driven analyses. This includes studies of community composition, food web structure, or trait-based responses in planktonic, benthic, or littoral taxa, ranging from microbes to fishes. Studies that explore linkages between terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic habitats, including ponds and streams, are particularly encouraged, especially those that integrate across multiple lakes, watersheds, or climatic gradients. We hope to include work ranging from fine-scale experiments to regional syntheses and macrosystems ecology. Contributions using stable isotopes, remote sensing, sensor networks, or process-based modeling are invited, as are those employing genomic, trait-based, or biogeochemical approaches. We also encourage studies that couple observational data with models or integrate ecological, hydrological, and climatological perspectives to examine how physical, chemical, and biological processes interact across system boundaries.

SS035 Bridging the gap in macrophyte research across realms: from ecological concepts to nature-based solutions in marine and fresh waters

Morgan Botrel, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL) ([email protected])
Fanny Noisette, Université du Québec à Rimouski ([email protected])
Christian Nozais, Université du Québec à Rimouski ([email protected])
Sabine Hilt, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries ([email protected])

Macrophytes in freshwater and marine realms are foundation species that control a wide range of key ecosystem processes, functions and services. They form habitat for many organisms and provide key benefits, i.e., supporting biodiversity, retaining nutrients, increasing sedimentation, stabilizing sediments, sequestering carbon, regulating greenhouse gaz emissions. However, their sustainable management and implementation as a nature-based solution (NbS) has only been partially recognized, and are contrastingly studied between marine and freshwater macrophytes. Concepts strongly linked to macrophytes use as NbS, such as blue carbon, eutrophication mitigation, or coastal erosion, have often been developed in one realm and remain to be exploited in the other, benefitting from some cross-pollination between limnology and oceanography.

In this session, we invite experts working on different aspects of macrophyte ecology in marine and freshwater habitats to learn from each other, including from their practices, applications and conceptual base related to NbS. We encourage participation of researchers either working on macrophyte across realms or specifically on seaweed, seagrass, saltmarsh on the coast or submerged, floating and emergent macrophytes inland. Specific topics can range from the impact of macrophyte on ecosystem functions and services, macrophyte along environmental gradients, trophic interactions, to innovative monitoring techniques and more conceptual aspects (e.g., resilience, alternative stable state). We will prioritize an equitable participation across realms. We invite both oral and poster format, but we will encourage short talks to leave time for exchange and identify knowledge transfer and innovative connections. In parallel of the event, we will organize formal and informal meetings to identify how to more concretely work together.

SS036 Macrophyte communities and Ecosystem Functioning in a Changing Freshwater World

Lars Iversen, McGill University ([email protected])
Lindsay Trottier, McGill University ([email protected])
Yang Liu, McGill University ([email protected])
Alice Dalla Vecchia, University of Parma ([email protected])

Freshwater macrophytes—rooted and free-floating vascular plants inhabiting lakes, rivers, wetlands, and streams—play a foundational role in ecosystem functioning. They regulate nutrient cycles, stabilize sediments, structure food webs, and support biodiversity; their ecological significance is widely acknowledged. However, linkages between the diversity, spatial distribution, and temporal dynamics of macrophyte communities and their associated ecosystem functioning remain understudied, particularly in the context of accelerating global environmental change.

With freshwater ecosystems undergoing unprecedented changes due to climate variability, eutrophication, land-use transformations, invasive species, and hydrological alterations, this proposed session addresses the urgent need to integrate macrophyte community dynamics into broader freshwater ecological research.

Understanding how macrophyte communities respond—and how those responses affect ecosystem functioning in turn—is essential. Notably, recent advances in trait-based ecology have shown how plant life forms, such as emergent and submerged species, exhibit realm-specific adaptations and distinct trait-environment relationships, leading to divergent impacts on ecosystem functions like carbon cycling and nutrient uptake.

The session will bring together limnologists, aquatic botanists, and macroecologist to explore:

Spatial and temporal dynamics of macrophyte community composition across climate and nutrient gradients Functional trait diversity of species and communities and its implications on ecosystem processes, such as denitrification, methane flux, and habitat provisioning The role of macrophytes in mediating responses to disturbances like droughts, floods, habitat degradation or invasive species Comparative studies across freshwater systems globally, with a focus on dataset harmonization and modelling frameworks

We particularly encourage submissions that address the reciprocal relationship between macrophyte communities and ecosystem functions— through field data, experiments, modelling, or synthesis—and that integrate aspects of global change in freshwater systems. Contributions linking macrophyte diversity to biogeochemical states, food web interactions, or remote sensing advances are also welcome.

SS039 Wildfires and Aquatic Systems: Implications for Hydrology, Biogeochemistry, and Ecosystem Resilience

Facundo Scordo, University of Nevada, Reno; INIBIOMA-CONICET ([email protected])
Sudeep Chandra, University of Nevada, Reno ([email protected])
Adrianne Smits, University of California Davis ([email protected])
Mary Jade Farruggia, University of Colorado Boulder ([email protected])
Steve Sadro, University of California Davis ([email protected])

Aquatic ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to wildfires, driven by the burning of watersheds, deposition of ash, and the shading effects of smoke. As the size, frequency, and intensity of wildfires continue to rise globally, understanding their impacts on aquatic ecosystems (including rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, and oceans) remains an emerging area of research. This issue is especially relevant to scientists studying land-air-water interactions and to managers working to develop fire-resilient landscapes while maintaining ecosystem function. Wildfires can remove vegetation and alter soil properties, leading to increased runoff, erosion, and the transport of sediments and pyrogenic contaminants into aquatic systems. These changes contribute to nutrient loading, reduced water quality, oxygen depletion, and habitat degradation, all of which significantly affect aquatic organisms and ecosystem processes. Additionally, the complex mix of contaminants (e.g., heavy metals and organic compounds) entering aquatic systems via runoff or atmospheric deposition poses further risks to drinking water supplies and recreational water use. Beyond the burned landscapes, smoke plumes and atmospheric emissions can travel long distances, altering the physical and chemical properties of air and water, and influencing ecological dynamics far from the fire's origin. These indirect effects can disrupt food webs, affect primary productivity, and modify species behavior across vast regions. This session invites submissions that examine the impacts of wildfires on aquatic ecosystems across a range of temporal (from immediate to long-term ecological responses) and spatial scales (from local sites to global regions). We seek studies exploring wildfire effects on ecological levels, from individual organisms to community interactions and ecosystem processes. Interdisciplinary research that combines field studies, experimental approaches, remote sensing, and modeling to link wildfire dynamics with ecological outcomes is particularly encouraged.

SS040 Assessing the Ecological Footprint of Hydropower: Greenhouse gases, Mercury, Water Quality, Aquatic Life and Energy balance

François Bilodeau, Hydro-Quebec ([email protected])
Luc Pelletier, Hydro-Quebec ([email protected])
Patricia Johnston, Hydro-Quebec ([email protected])
Thibaud André-Alphonse, Université du Québec en Outaouais ([email protected])

Hydroelectricity is a renewable energy source that plays a central role in the global transition toward a low-carbon energy economy. Hydroelectric facilities—whether run-of-river, storage reservoirs, or pumped-storage systems—can alter the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of aquatic environments. Their environmental footprints must be considered and require a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation to mitigate their adverse effects on ecosystems through adaptative management and technical innovation.

The organic matter decomposition following impoundment can lead to the production and release of greenhouse gases (GHG; CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O). These emissions are influenced by a range of factors, including reservoir age, geographical location, hydrological regime, and operational practices. Understanding the spatial and temporal variability of these fluxes is essential for accurate GHG accounting and for identifying mitigation opportunities.

In parallel, impoundment can enhance the methylation of mercury, increasing its bioavailability and accumulation in aquatic food webs. This can pose a potential health risk to fish consumers, particularly in regions where fish consumption is culturally or economically important.

Hydropower can also affect water quality through changes in thermal stratification, oxygen levels, nutrient cycling, and sediment transport. These changes can modify habitat structure, thereby altering species composition and ecosystem functions.

In addition to these ecological effects, the replacement of terrestrial landscapes with open water surfaces reduces surface albedo, modifying solar energy absorption and influencing local and regional energy balances. This can lead to localized warming and altered heat fluxes to the atmosphere. In cold regions, changes in ice cover duration and snow reflectivity further modulate the surface energy budget.

This session aims to bring together a diverse community of researchers, engineers, environmental professionals, and decision-makers to explore the full spectrum of hydropower's environmental footprint. We invite oral and poster presentations that address any of the following themes: GHG emissions and energy balance, mercury cycling, water quality impacts, aquatic ecosystem responses, and mitigation or adaptation strategies. Contributions that integrate field data and modeling are especially welcome. This session seeks to advance our collective understanding of the trade-offs and synergies inherent in hydroelectric development—and to support the design of more sustainable, climate-conscious, and ecologically responsible energy systems.

SS041 Novel stable isotope approaches to solving big and small questions in the aquatic sciences

Kyra St Pierre, University of Ottawa ([email protected])
Yoshito Chikaraishi, Hokkaido University ([email protected])
Yuko Takizawa, Hokkaido University ([email protected])
Jessica Garzke, University of British Columbia ([email protected])

The application of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of organic compounds has seen significant growth over the past three decades. In particular, CSIA is increasingly being used in the aquatic and environmental sciences to answer questions at the individual, community, food web, ecosystem, watershed, and basin scales. Possible applications of CSIA range from understanding the impacts of extreme events on aquatic ecosystem health and services, to illustrating the dynamic changes in the biogeochemical cycles of interconnected aquatic habitats, and elucidating trophic relationships in biological communities and metabolic pathways within individual organisms. In this session, we bring together a diverse group of scientists who have used or who have an interest in applying stable isotope analysis, including bulk and/or CSIA, to develop novel approaches to solving broad, overarching questions relating to hydrology, limnology, oceanography, aquatic ecology, and physiology, and environmental chemistry.

SS042 Submarine and lacustrine groundwater discharge (SGD and LGD): What can we learn from the other?

Jörg Lewandowski, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries ([email protected])
Clare Robinson, Western University ([email protected])
Michael Böttcher, Greifswald University ([email protected])
Joesph Tamborski, Old Dominion University ([email protected])

Groundwater plays a critical role in the hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecology of surface waters, such as freshwater lakes and coastal marine areas. The aim of this session is to bridge the gap between the scientific communities dealing with submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and lacustrine groundwater discharge (LGD). As research in both domains continues to evolve strongly, it is crucial to understand the similarities and differences in the mechanisms and impacts of SGD and LGD. This comparative understanding will significantly improve our knowledge of these processes and support the development of more effective strategies for managing aquatic environments. Urgent challenges for both freshwater and marine systems include tracing nutrient and carbon inputs from groundwater and the effects of anthropogenic interventions, like ongoing climate change.

In this session, researchers from various disciplines, ranging from hydrology to ecology and biogeochemistry, are invited to present contributions on the complex interrelationships of SGD and LGD. The aim is to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue on current methods, findings, and future research avenues. By integrating insights from these two domains, we aspire to foster collaborative approaches to assessing and managing the impact of groundwater on freshwater and salt water ecosystems, ensuring the long-term sustainability of these vital water resources.

Join us for this exciting session, in which we will explore the critical intersection between submarine and lacustrine groundwater discharge dynamics, focusing on their impacts on the health and resilience of ecosystems in the face of environmental change. We welcome contributions on the following topics, among others:

Quantification of SGD and LGD volumes and/or groundwater-borne chemical loads including method development and refinement Temporal or spatial patterns of SGD and LGD Modelling studies focusing on global upscaling of results and/or assess climate change impacts Nutrient dynamics and biological impacts of SGD and LGD Management strategies to mitigate the impact of SGD and LGD on water quality

SS043 Aquatic food webs – advances in trophic connectivity within and across aquatic ecosystems

Martin Kainz, Danube University Krems | WasserCluster Lunz ([email protected])
Cornelia Twining, EAWAG ([email protected])
Dominik Martin-Creuzburg, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg ([email protected])

Aquatic food webs are dynamic networks of dietary nutrient and contaminant transfer that are critical for sustaining ecosystem function, biogeochemical cycles, and biodiversity. Recent advances in analytical methods, such as stable isotope and lipid/fatty acid analysis, environmental DNA, and network theory, provide new insights into the complexity and connectedness of trophic interactions within and across aquatic ecosystems. This session aims to synthesize recent progress in understanding trophic processes from local species interactions in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments to large-scale linkages driven by organismal movements, subsidies of nutrients and contaminants, and environmental change. Through the integration of empirical data with modeling approaches, current research reveals emergent properties of aquatic food webs that have profound implications for ecosystem resilience and management. This session seeks contributions highlighting the importance of within and cross-ecosystem perspectives in future research and ecosystem protection aimed at sustaining the integrity of aquatic food webs in a rapidly changing world.

SS044 Aquatic connectivity: Measure, Model, Manage

Anthony Fontaine, Université du Québec en Outaouais ([email protected])
Baptiste Nelaton, Université du Québec en Outaouais ([email protected])
Katrine Turgeon, Université du Québec en Outaouais ([email protected])
Sarah Bertrand, Université du Québec en Outaouais ([email protected])

Aquatic connectivity—the ability of water, organisms, and ecological processes to move across freshwater and coastal systems—is essential for sustaining biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and ecological resilience. Yet barriers such as dams, culverts, and land-use change have fragmented these systems globally, posing complex ecological and management challenges. As climate change alters flow regimes, temperature profiles, and species distributions, aquatic connectivity becomes a critical lifeline for adaptation, connecting climatic analogues. Across the globe, efforts to restore aquatic connectivity are accelerating—but not without ecological, social, and technical complications. Measuring and quantifying aquatic connectivity remains a significant challenge across freshwater and coastal environments. In this session, we seek to bridge theoretical and applied perspectives by showcasing innovations in aquatic connectivity assessment as well as practical experiences from the field. Therefore, we invite contributions that:

explore methods, indicators, and tools for measuring aquatic connectivity - from fine-scale telemetry studies to landscape-level models,
identify current challenges associated with natural and human-induced barriers in aquatic ecosystems, and,
highlight future perspectives to rehabilitate, manage and conserve aquatic connectivity.

We aim to spark dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers on what success looks like in aquatic connectivity restoration and conservation, how it is measured, and how ecological outcomes should be tracked after intervention

SS045 Threats to (and from) aquaculture and fisheries in a changing world

Sofia Sabbagh, Université du Québec à Rimouski ([email protected])
Sandra Ann Binning, Université de Montréal ([email protected])
Jérémy De Bonville, Trent University ([email protected])

In a time of unprecedented global change, food and economic insecurity are pressing issues touching hundreds of millions of people globally. The United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization has emphasized the role played by the aquaculture and fisheries sector in addressing both food and economic insecurity while also meeting their sustainable development goals. However, while these industries offer solutions in terms of addressing hunger and economic development, in some cases they also represent threats to wild populations and aquatic ecosystems. Unfortunately, biotic and abiotic perturbations made worse by climate change pose risks to both the sustainable development of aquaculture and fisheries as well exacerbate the negative impact that these industries can have on natural ecosystems.

Our session welcomes contributions from researchers exploring emerging threats and proposed solutions to the problems facing the aquaculture industry and commercial, recreational, and/or ornamental fisheries in the context of global stressors, including warming waters, hypoxia, diseases and parasites, invasive species, toxicants, eutrophication, salinization, overfishing and others. We also encourage submissions from researchers working on natural aquatic or semi-aquatic systems impacted by these industries under current and projected future environmental conditions. We hope to cover a range of cultured and fished species including macroalgae, aquatic plants, invertebrates and fishes as well as ecosystems including inland, estuarine and coastal waters. Our goal is to bring together researchers from academia, government and industry working on these interconnected questions to break down communication barriers and facilitate discussion in order to generate sustainable solutions to these pressing environmental, economic and human health challenges.

SS046 Ecological change in Arctic freshwaters – Community and food web responses to climate warming and shifting landscapes

Willem Goedkoop, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences ([email protected])
Jennifer Lento, University of New Brunswick ([email protected])
Joseph Culp, Wilfir Laurier University ([email protected])

The rapid warming of Arctic regions has led to alterations of landscape vegetation, catchment hydrology and habitat change, which in turn cause gradual changes in the diversity and ecological processes of lakes and rivers. These changes include the dispersal of warm-adapted species to the north (including invasives); permafrost-thaw induced shifts in the physico-chemical habitat, communities and food webs, ecosystem processes/functions, and in the relative role of autochthony versus allochthony.

This session brings together field and experimental studies that address the impacts of warming-induced changes on the biological assemblages and ecosystem function of lakes and rivers, while also addressing the effects of the introduction/arrival of new species. We would like contributors to also focus on the resistance and resilience to change of the assemblages of these vulnerable ecosystems. We envision contributions that illustrate the long-term, gradual landscape and habitat changes and their effects on biological assemblages, as well as examples of abrupt ecological shifts. Such shifts could, for example, be induced by the arrival of new fish species or a change in basal resources. In addition to historical evidence of change and experimental approaches, we also welcome contributions that address future scenarios of change for Arctic freshwater ecosystems upon continued warming and those that emphasize the role of Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous methods, and co-production of knowledge between scientists and Indigenous Arctic peoples.

SS047 Towards a convergence of current knowledge and application of multiple stressor ecology across aquatic habitats

Rolf Vinebrooke, University of Alberta ([email protected])
Shelley Arnott, Queen's University ([email protected])
James Rusak, Government of Ontario ([email protected])

Global change biology often involves "ecological surprises" arising from unexpected responses to extreme or novel environmental changes (i.e. stressors). The inability to predict such typically non-linear responses stems from our lack of knowledge concerning the nature of ecological interactions that can mediate the direct effects of individual stressors and the difficulties in predicting outcomes when multiple stressors exist. We seek presentations that will stimulate exchange of methodologies (e.g., ecological modeling, experiments, meta-analysis, paleolimnology) used to generate mechanistic insights into the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors across various scales of biological organization (e.g., organismal, population, community, trophic interactions) in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Also, presentations are encouraged that place multiple aquatic stressors in an applied conservation context to better connect scientists with stakeholders and indigenous knowledge keepers in codesigning mitigation strategies and restoration of stressed ecosystems. We anticipate the session will provide a clearer approach to forecasting the cumulative socio-ecological impacts of multiple stressors, and a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

SS048 Some like it hot: Cyanobacteria adaptations and expansion across different habitats and conditions

Naila Barbosa da Costa, Université TÉLUQ ([email protected])
Sophie Crevecoeur, Environment and Climate Change Canada ([email protected])
Simone Cardoso, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora ([email protected])

Cyanobacteria have long been recognized for thriving in eutrophic aquatic ecosystems with elevated temperatures. However, an increasing number of studies have reported their prevalence in cold water and even in oligotrophic ecosystems, highlighting the wide range of environmental conditions potentially conducive to blooms, and raising significant concerns among scientists and policymakers as climate change and anthropogenic pressures continue to reshape environments from the poles to the tropics. A variety of environmental drivers, some well established and others less explored, may contribute to this trend, such as the presence of emerging contaminants and interspecific interactions with the rest of the aquatic microbiome (e.g., phytoplankton, bacteria, protists, fungi). These factors, alone or in combination, can facilitate cyanobacterial expansion across diverse geographical and ecological realms where toxic blooms are typically observed. This session welcomes studies investigating both well-established and novel drivers of cyanobacterial proliferation and their habitat expansion. We are notably interested in research that sheds light on the ecological, physiological, and genetic adaptations enabling cyanobacteria to exploit changing environmental conditions. We also encourage contributions that apply or develop innovative methodologies for bloom detection and monitoring, such as remote sensing, high-throughput sequencing, and machine-learning-based prediction tools. By bringing together diverse perspectives and approaches, we aim to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind cyanobacterial success in a rapidly changing world.

SS049 Aquatic ecosystems facing the effects of emerging contaminants, energy transition and global changes : recent data, challenges and perspectives.

Maikel Rosabal, UQAM ([email protected])
Marc Amyot, ASLO, SIL, GRIL ([email protected])

Aquatic ecosystems encompass various habitat types (e.g., rivers, streams, lakes, marine environments) where a wide array of animals live, but at risk once exposed to several anthropogenic contaminants and environmental stressors. The concentrations of various chemicals such as dioxins, PAHs, pesticides, microplastics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, tire-derived pollutants (TDPs), trace elements including mercury, and nanoparticles in waters and sediments reflect their potential exposure and bioaccumulation in animals, leading to ecological adverse effects. With the fast energy transitions towards low-carbon scenarios, these environments are also threatened by strategic and critical minerals (e.g., rare-earth elements, platinum-group metals, etc.) urgently required in green and energy storage technologies. In addition to these chemicals, aquatic ecosystems are also fragile and easily disturbed by global changes including climate change, land use change, invasive species, atmospheric chemistry changes, which have a wide-ranging consequences for both aquatic ecosystems and human societies. Despite some progress made, there are still knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to further improve our understanding of the impact of such stressors on aquatic ecosystems, acting alone or in mixtures. In this session, we would like to offer a platform to share and to discuss recent works dealing with these topics. We welcome submissions providing current knowledge, evidence, challenging and perspectives of the role these factors may play on the aquatic environment. We invite studies using in vitro as well as in vivo experiments, combining data from the application of omics approaches, covering the interaction and the resulting effects of biotic and/or abiotic stressors in mixtures, modelling tools regarding animals and ecosystem responses to these factors, and other related innovative approaches. Posters and platform presentations, from the students, early-career professors and established researchers are welcomed to advance our understanding of these issues (from the molecular to the ecosystem scale). We want to bring together recent studies from academic, governmental, and private sectors to foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and to share new perspectives and advanced findings that have the potential to improve our understanding of ecological dynamics carried out under such pressures in aquatic systems.

SS050 Ecological significance of dissolved organic matter

Jianjun WANG, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ([email protected])
Andrew Tanentzap, Trent University ([email protected])
Núria Catalán, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes, CSIC ([email protected])

There is a myriad of organic matter molecules in aquatic ecosystems that continuously undergo microbial and abiotic transformation, processes that critically influence carbon storage and climate feedback. Studies in the past two decades have made substantial progress in characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM) across aquatic environments due to the advancements in ultrahigh‐resolution mass spectrometry and statistical approaches. For instance, the number of studies characterizing DOM using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has increased by more than 500% since 2014 and now accounts for almost 10% of all DOM studies. Yet, a systematic understanding of what determines the microbial transformation and persistence of DOM across spatiotemporal scales remains elusive. Outstanding questions include: how does DOM composition change across large-scale geographical gradients such as latitude, elevation and water depth? How do these patterns vary under environmental change? What is the relative importance of abiotic and biotic processes in determining DOM composition? The growing amount of molecular chemistry and biology data now provide opportunities to answer these questions. This session will bridge chemical complexity with ecosystem biogeochemistry and advance our ability to predict the fate of organic carbon under environmental change. Diverse speakers from a mix of career stages and backgrounds will share talks and posters spanning the full range of freshwater to marine ecosystems and methodological approaches, including observational, experimental, and modelling studies.

SS051 Novel ways to improve mechanistic understanding and prediction of harmful algal blooms (HABs) across aquatic ecosystems

Elena Litchman, Michigan State University ([email protected])
Carol Waldmann Rosenbaum, Michigan State ([email protected])
Dedmer van de Waal, NIOO-KNAW ([email protected])
Arnaud Louchart, NIOO-KNAW ([email protected])

Harmful algal blooms are proliferating in many parts of the world. The main drivers of this proliferation include abiotic factors such as increasing nutrient concentrations and temperature, as well as biotic interactions, such as grazing, parasitism and competition. While we have learned much about HAB trends and drivers, our ability to predict the timing, composition and magnitude of HABs is still inadequate.

In this session we will explore novel ways to better understand the mechanisms leading to bloom formation, persistence and eventual demise. We welcome presentations using diverse observational, experimental, modeling or combined approaches to studying HABs in different aquatic ecosystems. Studies looking at trait-environment interactions of different HAB taxa, the role of key food web components such as grazers, parasites, competitors and microbiomes are welcome. We also invite presentations on novel statistical or process-based models or their creative combinations to predict blooms in different environments and geographic regions. Our goal is to bring together studies on HABs ranging from physiological to ecosystem and global scales, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative approaches.

SS052 Water in peatlands

Julien Arsenault, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])
Maximilian Lau, TU Bergakademie Freiberg ([email protected])
Julie Talbot, Université de Montréal ([email protected])

Peatlands are wetlands that cover around 3% of continental surfaces but that store approximately 25% of the global soil carbon (C) because of an imbalance between organic matter production and decomposition that leads to peat accumulation. This imbalance is largely due to the water saturation of peatland soils. Water in and above these soils include peat lakes, ponds, pools, streams and porewater, all of which allow for nutrient and dissolved gas translocation and offer key aquatic habitats for various micro- and macro-organisms. The aquatic character of peatlands is nonetheless seldom addressed. Understanding the role water plays in peatland structure and functions is of major interest for preserving these ecosystems that provide essential services at both local (e.g. water resources) and global (e.g. C sink) scales, especially in the context of global climate change.

The goal of this session is to bring together scientists that study all biogeochemical, hydrological and biological questions related to surface and subsurface waters within peatlands. The session highlights innovations in modelling, monitoring, and analysis. We especially welcome studies that integrate advanced tools to study the terrestrial aspects of peatlands, such as remote sensing, eddy covariance and geochemical tracers, when combined with water-centered analyses. Contributions focusing on restoration and adaptive management of peatland waters are encouraged. By integrating perspectives from biogeochemistry, ecology, and data science, this session aims to advance a holistic understanding of water's role in peatlands' transformations and resilience.

SS053 Autonomous and In Situ eDNA Technologies: Scaling Molecular Biodiversity Observations in Aquatic Ecosystems

Elizabeth Allan, University of Washington ([email protected])
Kevan Yamahara, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute ([email protected])
Adam Sepulveda, USGS ([email protected])
Austen Thomas, Smith Root ([email protected])

Environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies are transforming aquatic ecosystem monitoring by enabling sensitive, non-invasive detection of biodiversity across trophic levels. As demand grows for scalable and high-resolution biological observations, autonomous and in situ eDNA sampling systems are becoming essential for expanding coverage in both freshwater and marine environments. This session will highlight recent advances in eDNA instrumentation and applications, focusing on autonomous, field-deployable technologies that collect, preserve, and—in some cases—process molecular samples directly in the environment. These systems reduce dependence on labor-intensive workflows and allow for sustained monitoring in remote or dynamic aquatic settings.

In alignment with the conference theme "Aquatic Confluence", the session will bring together marine and freshwater researchers, technologists, and applied scientists working at the intersection of innovation and ecological monitoring. Talks will showcase autonomous, field-deployable samplers and instrumentation integrated with autonomous platforms, including AUVs, gliders, moorings, and other mobile or fixed systems. Presenters will share field case studies that illustrate successful deployments across a range of habitats—from estuaries and coastal zones to deep-sea and inland waters—emphasizing operational performance, biological insights, and practical lessons learned. These studies will demonstrate how autonomous eDNA systems are being used to capture temporal and spatial patterns in biodiversity that would otherwise be difficult to detect with traditional methods.

The session will also explore real-world applications, including early detection of invasive species, monitoring of endangered species, harmful algal bloom surveillance, and integration into regional or national biodiversity programs. These examples will demonstrate how autonomous eDNA technologies are supporting more responsive and efficient management of aquatic ecosystems.

By bringing together technology developers, early adopters, and applied researchers, this session aims to foster collaboration and accelerate the broader use of autonomous eDNA systems. We will emphasize how these innovations are not only expanding observational capacity but also improving the speed and cost-effectiveness of biodiversity monitoring.

Ultimately, the session will demonstrate how autonomous and in situ eDNA technologies are creating new opportunities for real-time, ecosystem-scale environmental intelligence. Through practical examples and cross-disciplinary dialogue, we aim to highlight the value of these tools for informing conservation strategies, supporting regulatory decision-making, and enhancing long-term ecological monitoring.

SS054 A 'Silver Bullet Assessment' of Nature-based Solutions (and other measures) for Lakes

Bryan Spears, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology ([email protected])
Miquel Lurling, Wageningen University & Research ([email protected])
Rowen Monks, Norwegian University of Life Sciences ([email protected])
Tallent Dadi, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research ([email protected])

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are gaining momentum as sustainable, multi-benefit approaches to address the complex challenges facing lake ecosystems—from eutrophication and biodiversity loss to climate-driven hydrological shifts and societal demands for water and recreation. More recently, Circular Blue Economy Solutions (CBS) are being added to the sustainability toolbox, including those measures that target nutrient recovery and reuse. Finally, Biodiversity-focused Solutions (BfS) are arguably more established, including species reintroductions, rewilding, and habitat improvements focussed on conservation, but now they have been given a new name. Regardless of what we call them, while promising in theory the practical implementation of such measures in lakes requires comprehensive ecological understanding, community engagement, and site-specific assessments to ensure efficacy, limit trade-offs and support long-term outcomes. This is particularly important as such measures are at the heart of emerging Nature Markets, including voluntary crediting markets (e.g., for carbon, biodiversity, and nutrients), which stand to transform the way lake restoration is financed.

The European Commission has launched four sister projects (Futurelakes, FERRO, EuroLakes, ProCleanLakes) to advance innovation and upscaling in lake restoration. Similar projects exist outside of Europe including Our Lakes Our Future (New Zealand), and the Global Environment Facility uPcycle Lakes Project (Global and Latin America). Collectively, these projects and others will drive innovation in this field in the coming years.

A review of the literature in 2025 conducted by the FutureLakes Project indicated that over 70 such measures have been listed with various degrees of scientific scrutiny. With careful selection these measures have the potential to be combined in suites to deliver across multiple policy areas including (e.g., Biodiversity Net Gain, Pollution Reduction, Climate Resilience, Sustainable Food Production, Green Economy).

This session will explore real-world application of NbS, CBS, and BfS for lakes, including (not exclusively) restoration of wetlands and riparian buffers, rewilding of lake catchments, use of macrophytes for nutrient retention and harvesting, nutrient trapping, recovery and reuse, nutrient reduction for methane management, and sustainable land management practices. Contributions will emphasize evidence-based outcomes, highlight successes and failures, and critically assess the limitations of the measures – offering insights into the degrees of scientific confidence in their efficacy and selection criteria. We encourage the assessment of 'additionality' (e.g. measures or suites of measures delivering across the multiple policy areas identified above) and in contributions that provide new perspectives on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (a.k.a. MRV) and Governance approaches, in the context of Nature Markets for lakes.

Importantly, this session will move beyond the narrative of 'silver bullet' fixes and instead embrace complexity, adaptive management, and interdisciplinary insight to understand how NbS, CBS, and BfS (and any other umbrella-term for lake management solutions) can (and can't) help safeguard lake ecosystems.

SS055 Integrative Approaches to Freshwater Monitoring: Emerging Technologies, Community Based Programs, and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Jack Greenhalgh, McGill University ([email protected])
Valérie Langlois, McGill University ([email protected])
Geneviève D'Avignon, McGill University ([email protected])

This session is about people, the environment, and respect for Nibi (Water). We recognize that humans and the land are deeply interconnected, bound together as relatives within a shared circle of life. We honour the teachings that remind us that what affects the Earth impacts us, and that by caring for the land and waters, we care for ourselves and future generations.

From long before the advent of modern scientific tools to today, Indigenous knowledge holders and community-based groups have led the way in monitoring aquatic systems, developing deep, place-based understandings of ecosystem change. Here we model a new paradigm as the scientific community shifts away from extractive research methods toward more collaborative, respectful, and cocreated approaches to data collection, analysis, and decision-making.

Concurrently, the field of molecular biology and environmental sensing is undergoing rapid progress. This includes environmental DNA (eDNA), high‑resolution remote sensing (such as satellite and UAV imagery), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), drones, passive acoustic monitoring, machine learning data processing, and in situ sensor networks. These advancements are revolutionizing the way we observe freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity by offering unprecedented sensitivity, spatial coverage, and non‑invasive monitoring capacity.

Often developed independently, Indigenous knowledge systems, community‑based monitoring, and emerging technologies possess complementary strengths that can advance freshwater science in the 21st century. Thoughtful alignment of these approaches—including attention to scale, interpretation, and data stewardship—can enhance their collective value and relevance across diverse monitoring contexts. To ensure continuity and comparability with the data that currently guide environmental decision‑making, it is essential to integrate emerging data streams with existing long‑term monitoring programs.

The session will be used as a platform to identify opportunities for collaboration and synergies among researchers, Indigenous communities, practitioners, stakeholders participating in monitoring, and the emerging technologies they are developing. As such, this session will provide an opportunity for exchange on research that applies and integrates emerging technologies with existing community‑, Indigenous‑, or NGO‑led monitoring practices, as well as long‑term scientific monitoring programs.

Specifically, we envision co‑developing discussions related to the following themes:

Novel approaches towards quantifying and/or qualifying species distributions and/or abundances;
The development of methodological techniques and best practices for emerging methods in freshwater ecology;
The role of emerging technologies in detecting and monitoring aquatic biodiversity;
Identifying potential synergies between emerging methods for surveying freshwaters for holistic, non‑invasive ecosystem monitoring;
Bridging current and emerging monitoring techniques with long‑term, community‑based, and Indigenous monitoring initiatives to extend monitoring capacity across spatial, temporal, and institutional scales

SS056 AI in aquatic sciences: Advancing ecology and sustainability with artificial intelligence

Alexander Flecker, Cornell University ([email protected])
Sebastian Heilpern, Stanford University ([email protected])
Maria Camila Mejía García, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ([email protected])
Carla Gomes, Cornell University ([email protected])

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping many scientific fields, yet aquatic sciences have only begun to tap into AI's broader potential for innovation. AI enables the processing of vast datasets from sensor arrays and other big data sources, providing new insights into ecological processes, environmental change and sustainability solutions. For example, machine learning can automate species identification through image or bioacoustic recognition, as well as eDNA data, while deep learning enables high fidelity monitoring and forecasting of water quality, biogeochemistry, habitat change, and flow dynamics. Approaches such as AI-guided multi-objective optimization are increasingly supporting conservation planning within aquatic ecosystems—and offer substantial promise for scaling impact across the aquatic sciences.

This special session aims to: 1) provide a state-of-the-art overview of how AI is currently being applied to aquatic sciences, 2) highlight groundbreaking domain applications of AI within aquatic ecosystems, and 3) identify research frontiers where AI could meaningfully and responsibly advance aquatic sciences. By bringing together researchers from across domains—including freshwater and marine ecologists, sustainability scientists, and computer scientists—the session aims to showcase innovative aquatic research leveraging AI and to inspire the ASLO / SIL communities by illustrating how AI can transform aquatic ecology, conservation, and management. The special session will prioritize inclusion of a diverse set of participants across different career stages, domains, and geographies in aquatic sciences.

SS057 Aquatic Primary Production Across Scales: Drivers, Dynamics, and Consequences

Stuart Jones, Grand Valley State University ([email protected])
Paul Hanson, University of Wisconsin - Madison ([email protected])
Isabella Oleksy, University of Colorado Boulder ([email protected])
Chris Solomon, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies ([email protected])
Kathleen Weathers, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies ([email protected])

Primary production is the engine of aquatic ecosystems, fueling food webs, regulating biogeochemical cycles, and shaping ecosystem responses to environmental change. Yet, understanding how primary production varies across spatial and temporal scales—from microbial interactions in localized patches to global patterns in lakes, rivers, and oceans—remains a critical scientific challenge. This session will bring together limnologists, oceanographers, and interdisciplinary researchers to explore the drivers, dynamics, and consequences of aquatic primary production across freshwater and marine systems.

We invite contributions that examine primary production at a variety of scales, from in situ measurements in small streams and lakes to satellite-based assessments of global aquatic productivity. Presentations may address biotic and abiotic drivers of production—including light, nutrients, temperature, and community composition—as well as the feedbacks between primary producers and broader ecosystem functions. We especially encourage work that incorporates innovative methods such as remote sensing, autonomous sensors, modeling approaches, or isotopic tracers, and studies that integrate across disciplinary or ecosystem boundaries.

A key theme of the session is scale: how do processes driving primary production differ across spatial scales (e.g., microbial mats to ocean basins), temporal scales (e.g., diel cycles to decades), and organizational levels (e.g., individual species to communities)? How can cross-scale linkages be leveraged to improve predictions of productivity under changing climate, nutrient regimes, and disturbance regimes such as hypoxia, acidification, and altered hydrology? Work that explores the consequences of primary production for higher trophic levels, carbon and nutrient cycling, and ecosystem services is of interest as well.

By fostering exchange across systems and approaches, this session aims to build a more unified understanding of aquatic primary production. We welcome contributions from early career scientists and encourage presentations that address fundamental science, applied questions, or both. Our hope is that this session will provide a platform for advancing our understanding of aquatic primary production in an era of rapid global change. By drawing connections across scales and disciplines, we aim to identify key knowledge gaps, methodological innovations, and opportunities for synthesis.

SS058 Microbial-DOM coupling in inland waters in the light of biogeochemical cycles

Paola Ayala-Borda, University of Lethbridge ([email protected])
Sara Soria-Píriz, Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])
Masumi Stadler, Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])
Flora Mazoyer, Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])

Microbes and dissolved organic matter (DOM) both play key roles in the biogeochemistry of inland waters. Microbes are the most abundant and important biological component responsible for recycling DOM, either from autochthonous or allochthonous sources. They participate in the fixation and oxidation of carbon molecules, shaping the organic matter pool throughout the microbial life cycle. DOM is the most mobile form of organic matter, distributing carbon and nutrients across ecosystems and affecting the complexation, solubility and transport of metals and contaminants. It can impact acid-base chemistry and attenuate UV radiation in the water column, with many consequences for living organisms. For these reasons, microbes and DOM are tightly linked to the most relevant biogeochemical cycles, including the ones of nitrogen, phosphorus, trace elements or even pollutants. How they are linked to each other and other chemical elements is thus essential for fully understanding ecosystem functioning in lakes, rivers or wetlands.

Recent research related to microbial diversity, their functional role, and gene expression supported by advanced molecular tools such as high throughput sequencing, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics, has improved the description of links between biogeochemistry and in-depth microbial community functioning. The detailed characterization of complex DOM assemblages and elemental dynamics has been made possible by high-level mass spectrometry and refined isotopic techniques. However, high-resolution analyses of microbes and DOM in tandem remains a challenge.

To further our holistic understanding of freshwater biogeochemistry, this session aims to bring together researchers from various biogeochemical disciplines to explore the numerous facets of microbial-DOM interactions and the complexity of biogeochemical cycles. We welcome studies focusing on DOM processing by microbes (including protozoa, bacteria, microalgae and fungi) from all biogeochemical perspectives, including carbon cycling, nutrient cycling (N, P), redox or pH gradients, DOM-metal complexation (Al, Fe), contaminants (Hg, S), and more.

SS059 Sediment derived nutrients, cyanobacteria and climate change

Gertrud Nürnberg, Freshwater Research ([email protected])
Olga Tammeorg, University of Helsinki ([email protected])

As a sediment researcher, nutrient (P and N) specialist, or someone studying eutrophication and cyanobacteria proliferation in lakes world-wide, we invite you to participate in this special session. More and more knowledge has come to light that involves legacy nutrients in lake sediments in the proliferation of cyanobacteria (e.g., https://www.routledge.com/Lake-Functioning-Internal-Phosphorus-Loading-Cyanobacteria-and-Climate-Change/Nurnberg/p/book/9781032294407. In conjunction with increased development and climate change (including increases of air temperature, drought, and storm events, and changes in ice cover phenology), sediment-derived nutrients (especially phosphorus, but also nitrogen) may give a boost to cyanobacteria proliferation at important times.

We welcome studies that critically test the whole or parts of the hypothesis that a major contributing factor to the recent increase in cyanobacteria bloom expansion and frequency is internal phosphorus loading as intensified by climate change. Case studies, meta-analyses, and theoretical efforts are welcome. The introduction and discussion of climate-resilient (cyanobacteria mitigating) lake management strategies are encouraged.

SS061 From immediate shocks to long-term shifts: terrestrial disturbances and aquatic ecosystem responses

Guillaume Grosbois, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue ([email protected])
Hélène Masclaux, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté ([email protected])
Carsten Meyer-Jacob, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue ([email protected])
Zofia Taranu, Environment and Climate change Canada ([email protected])

Freshwater ecosystems are essential components of global landscapes and are closely connected to their terrestrial surroundings through complex physicochemical, biological and ecological interactions. One of the strongest links between terrestrial and aquatic environments is the substantial transfer of organic matter and energy from land to lakes. Lakes receive terrestrial organic matter (t-OM) from their surrounding catchments, which influences the physical and chemical properties of water. For instance, terrestrial dissolved organic matter (t-DOM)—the dominant form of terrestrial inputs in lakes—imparts the characteristic brown coloration observed in temperate and boreal waters. This coloration has intensified in recent decades, a process known as "browning", driven by factors such as recovery from acid rain and climate change.

Terrestrial inputs are often highly aromatic, resistant to microbial degradation, and absorb light efficiently—thereby reducing the depth of the photosynthetically active zone and altering thermal stratification. Resulting changes in the physicochemical properties of lake water affect aquatic habitats and, consequently, influence interactions among aquatic organisms. This cascade of effects can reshape aquatic food webs—from bacteria, algae, and macrophytes to zooplankton and fish.

The input of t-OM fuels the aquatic microbial loop, which supports higher trophic levels and overall biomass production. However, the effects of t-OM on food webs are complex and context-dependent. In oligotrophic lakes, which are nutrient-poor, t-OM inputs can enhance productivity by supplying additional nutrients. In contrast, in humic or eutrophic lakes—where organic matter is already abundant—further inputs may supress productivity by limiting light availability. These effects depend not only on the quantity of t-OM but also on its composition and chemical characteristics, which vary by source (i.e., whether from forest soils, wetlands, or thawing permafrost).

Although terrestrial–aquatic interactions have received increasing attention in recent decades, the impacts of terrestrial disturbances on aquatic biogeochemical and ecological processes remain insufficiently understood. Natural disturbances such as forest fires can alter the export of organic matter to lakes by producing "black carbon"—a recalcitrant form of carbon resulting from incomplete combustion that is poorly assimilated by microbes and likely contributes little to aquatic food webs. Insect outbreaks can modify the timing, quantity, and composition of exported organic matter by converting leaf material into fecal pellets, thereby altering t-OM quality. The impacts of insect-driven inputs may differ from those of wildfire-derived t-OM and could affect different trophic levels in distinct ways.

Anthropogenic disturbances—such as mining and forest logging—add further complexity. Mining can lead to contamination and degradation of lake food webs, while logging significantly alters both the quantity and quality of t-OM entering freshwater systems. The long-term effects of these changes on aquatic communities and lake resilience remain poorly understood.

We propose a session for the ASLO–SIL 2026 conference that brings together cutting-edge research on the impacts of terrestrial disturbances on the biogeochemistry and ecology of aquatic ecosystems, integrating both contemporary and paleolimnological approaches. This emerging interdisciplinary field holds great promise for advancing our understanding of land–water interactions and supporting the development of more integrated and sustainable landscape management strategies.

SS062 Complexity in space and time: From Optical Properties to Ecosystem Processes

Carina Seitz, Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno and Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability. CRUB, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET ([email protected])
Sudeep Chandra, Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno and Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability. ([email protected])
Warwich F. Vincent, Centre for Northern Studies (CEN) Laval University ([email protected])
Catherine O'Reilly, University of Minnesota Duluth ([email protected])

Inland water ecosystems and their watersheds are constantly reshaped by the complex interplay of their physical, chemical, and biological connections. In the face of accelerating environmental change—including climate variability, land-use intensification, shifting hydrological regimes, changes in biological diversity—lake and river ecosystems are undergoing unprecedented transformations. Yet aquatic ecosystems are not uniform environments; they exhibit pronounced heterogeneity in time and space. If we are going to inform policy and management of freshwaters, a modern understanding of aquatic ecosystems requires a multidimensional approach, encompassing observations and interpreting functional attributes and connections from surface to depth, nearshore to offshore, and instantaneous to long-term processes, as well as internal processes and land-water interactions.

This session aims to bring together researchers to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and a better understanding of how changing environmental drivers interact with the inherent complexity of aquatic ecosystems and their watersheds to shape ecosystem structure, function, and resilience. We welcome studies from all types of inland water ecosystems, climates, and optical approaches (high-frequency sensors, autonomous platforms, satellite and drone remote sensing, and spatially intensive sampling strategies).

SS063 Breaking the Flow: Biogeochemical Responses of Riverine Carbon and Nutrients to Anthropogenic Disturbances and Extreme Events

João Miguel Merces Bega, Department of Forest Sciences, University of São Paulo ([email protected])
Francesco Ulloa-Cedamanos, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University ([email protected])

Rivers and streams act as reactive conduits for carbon and nutrients transport from terrestrial landscapes to coastal systems. These transfers are governed by complex biogeochemical interactions across upland, riparian, and riverine interfaces. Increasing anthropogenic pressures (e.g., deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urbanization), along with the rising frequency and intensity of extreme events (e.g., floods, wildfires, and droughts), are affecting the natural capacity of catchments to sequester and transform carbon, remediate excess nutrients, and host key biogeochemical processes. These changes alter the timing, quantity, and composition of carbon and nutrient fluxes, ultimately impacting water quality and the ecological functions of freshwater systems. Maintaining the biogeochemical integrity of riverine ecosystems is critical for sustaining ecosystem resilience and the services they provide. Yet, predicting how these systems respond to disturbances requires a deeper understanding of the coupling between hydrology, carbon cycling, and nutrient dynamics under changing environmental conditions. In particular, the restoration and management of riparian vegetation emerge as critical strategies for enhancing in-stream carbon processing. Riparian buffers influence carbon dynamics through shading, organic matter inputs, bank stabilization, and by promoting microbial and plant-mediated transformations of dissolved and particulate carbon forms. Reestablishing native riparian vegetation can also mitigate impacts of land-use change and improve system connectivity, thereby enhancing the natural capacity of rivers and streams to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient cycling. This session aims to bring together scientists working across disciplines, including field studies, process-based experiments, and integrated catchment or biogeochemical modelling, to explore how carbon and nutrient processes in flowing waters are shaped by both local and landscape-scale drivers, across riverine ecosystems at different latitudes and spatio-temporal scales. We also encourage submissions that investigate mechanisms driving the distribution or transformation of dissolved and particulate carbon, their linkages to carbon dioxide outgassing or uptake, and the role of stream restoration interventions, especially riparian reforestation, in enhancing ecosystem functioning along aquatic-terrestrial gradients.

SS064 Connecting habitats: Understanding hydrological connectivity effects on biological systems through omics

Jérôme Comte, Institut national de la recherche scientifique ([email protected])
Valentine Cyriaque, Institut national de la recherche scientifique ([email protected])
Alizée Le Moigne, Institut national de la recherche scientifique ([email protected])

Water bodies are interconnected within hydrological networks linking aquatic habitats to each other and to the terrestrial environment, enabling the movement of water, nutrients, organisms, and energy across the landscapes. Climate change and land use can profoundly modify these connections, making the maintenance and restoration of aquatic connectivity essential for sustaining ecological health, biodiversity, and the resilience of aquatic ecosystems amid environmental and anthropogenic pressures. Omics technologies—including genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—are transforming our capacity to investigate connectivity by enabling detailed tracking of microbial communities and functions, fish population genetics, and responses to environmental stressors, providing critical insights into species dispersal, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem functioning across multiple biological, spatial, and temporal scales.

In this session, we invite contributions that explore the impacts of the changes — whether increases (e.g. erosion, thawing or flooding) or decreases ( e.g. habitat fragmentation, dams, wildfires or drainage) — in connectivity between aquatic environments and with their terrestrial surroundings. Contributions may include effects on biodiversity at various scales (communities, populations or mobile genetic elements) as well as effects on ecosystem functioning and services.

We encourage submissions that integrate omics data with landscape characteristics such as habitat type, morphology, land cover, and biogeochemical parameters. We particularly welcome submissions from students, early career researchers, and scholars from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized communities, as well as those that blend Indigenous and local knowledge.

SS065 Species diversity and community shifts of freshwater phytoplankton along environmental gradients

Man Xiao, Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ([email protected])
Michele Burford, Griffith University ([email protected])
Guangwei Zhu, Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ([email protected])

Lakes and reservoirs function as sentinel ecosystems, integrating and amplifying signals of environmental change through shifts in their biological communities. Phytoplankton communities, in particular, exhibit high sensitivity to environmental gradients, providing key insights into the complex and dynamic ecological processes within the environment. Understanding how phytoplankton species diversity and community composition respond to environmental gradients is thus a central question in freshwater ecology, with critical implications for ecosystem functioning, biodiversity conservation, and water quality management.

The accelerating anthropogenic pressures, ranging from nutrient enrichment and altered hydrological regimes to climate-driven warming and stratification, have reshaped environmental gradients in freshwater systems. These changes have not only altered phytoplankton community structure, but also increased the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms, particularly those dominated by bloom-forming cyanobacteria such as Microcystis, Dolichospermum, and Raphidiopsis. These taxa can produce potent toxins, cause oxygen depletion, and lead to taste-and-odour issues in drinking water supplies, posing significant ecological and public health risks.

This special session aims to bring together researchers working across lake and reservoir ecosystems to discuss emerging patterns, methods, and mechanisms that explain phytoplankton species turnover, diversity shifts, and bloom formation along environmental gradients. We invite contributions that address key questions such as: What are the dominant environmental drivers shaping phytoplankton community assembly across spatial and temporal scales? How do species traits and functional groups response to multiple interacting stressors? Can trait-based, stoichiometric, or phylogenetic approaches improve prediction of bloom risk and ecosystem responses? How do changes in phytoplankton diversity impact primary productivity, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability?

We particularly encourage submissions using novel and integrative approaches, including high-frequency in situ monitoring, omics-based community profiling, remote sensing, machine learning, and process-based ecosystem modelling. Studies spanning gradients in nutrient loading, hydrological connectivity, thermal regimes, or anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., pollution, land use change, or water level manipulation) are especially welcome.

This session will serve as a platform to synthesise knowledge from empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and emerging technologies. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among limnologists, microbial ecologists, modelers, and water managers, we aim to build a more mechanistic and predictive understanding of phytoplankton dynamics under environmental change. Such insights are essential for developing early warning indicators and adaptive strategies for managing biodiversity and water quality in freshwater ecosystems.

SS066 Plastic pollution from freshwaters to oceans: linking occurrence to ecological impacts

Veronica Nava, University of Milano-Bicocca ([email protected])
Gilberto Binda, University of Insubria ([email protected])
Sudeep Chandra, University of Nevada, Reno ([email protected])
Hans-Peter Grossart, University of Postdam ([email protected])

The role of aquatic ecosystems in the global plastic cycle is increasingly acknowledged. Yet, the links and differences between freshwater and marine systems, particularly in how plastics are transported and their impacts, remain poorly understood. As plastics enter these environments through various pathways, they interact with a range of ecosystem components, potentially altering structure and functioning in ways that may be common across systems or uniquely shaped by each context. This session brings together multidisciplinary research investigating plastic pollution across freshwater and marine ecosystems, individually or in combination. We welcome studies that explore patterns of plastic occurrence, fate, and ecological impacts within each system, as well as those that examine the transport and transformation of plastics across the aquatic continuum. Emphasis will be also placed on the ecological consequences of plastic pollution and recent methodological advances that improve detection, quantification, and impact assessment. By bridging disciplinary and ecosystem boundaries, this session aims to foster a more integrated understanding of the roles and responses of aquatic systems in the plastic cycle.

The main topics of this session will include:

Source to sink, the production and delivery of plastics from land and air to water
Occurrence and distribution of plastics and microplastics across various aquatic compartments
Methodological advancements for the detection, quantification, and characterization of plastics in freshwater systems.
Impacts of plastics, including their interactions with bio-geochemical cycles, microbial and higher trophic-level organisms, and overall ecosystem functioning.
Emerging research on the plastisphere and its implications for microbial ecology and ecosystem functioning.

SS067 Multiple stressor effects on freshwater and marine ecosystems in a changing climate

Mechthild Schmitt-Jansen, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ ([email protected])
Sabine Hilt, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries ([email protected])
Peiyu Zang, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences ([email protected])
Juan Du, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences ([email protected])

The triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution highlights the complexity of the effects of multiple stressors in aquatic ecosystems. Spatially and temporally co-occurring stressors show interacting effects such as additivity, antagonism or synergism. This makes the assessment, prediction and mitigation of the effects of multiple stressors a challenge. In freshwater and coastal systems, stressors arise at the local to catchment scale from land use patterns such as agriculture, urbanization or industrial activities. Their impacts spread further into the open ocean, such as nutrient pollution and the accumulation of plastics. There are several frameworks to mitigate these stressors in aquatic systems, e.g. the US Clean Water Act, the Chinese Water Ten Plan, the European Water Framework Directive or the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. However, modifications in local combined stressor effects due to global climate change such as warming, hydrodynamics and extreme events or invasive species are likely, but causal links are rare. While awareness is growing that these stressors affect the resilience of our aquatic ecosystems to different stressor scenarios, they are rarely considered in management measures. Nevertheless, our mechanistic understanding of the interactions between stressors in the context of climate change and the corresponding management strategies remains limited.

This session welcomes contributions that address the interactions of multiple stressors in climate change scenarios. Case studies illustrating the impact of climate change on the vulnerability of ecosystems to other stressors, their interaction patterns or ecological thresholds are welcomed. Evidence can be derived from field studies, experimental investigations or data-driven studies. Modelling approaches that improve the prediction of multiple stressor effects under projected climate change scenarios will be considered, as well as diagnostic and assessment frameworks. Contributions that reconsider regulatory thresholds and management activities in the context of climate change and extreme events are particularly welcome. The aim of this session is to provide an overview of current knowledge, identify knowledge gaps and improve interdisciplinary communication to help protect healthy aquatic systems in a changing climate.

SS069 Freshwater Springs: Hidden and Neglected Limnological Pearls

Marco Cantonati, University of Bologna, BiGeA ([email protected])
Larry Stevens, Springs Stewardship Institute ([email protected])
Doug Glazier, Juniata College ([email protected])

Freshwater springs are unique multiple ecotonal ecosystems. They harbor a disproportionately high biological diversity due to their intra-site microhabitat heterogeneity and inter-site diversity, which derive from variation in their geological longevity, aquifer geochemistry, and distribution across many climatic zones, geological provinces, and biogeographic regions. Springs also have tremendous cultural, social, and economic significance. Despite this, springs are gravely threatened by unsustainable exploitation of their high-quality water, causing the global demise of the springs biome. In 2007 we organized a Special Session on springs ("Springs and Small Streams: Understudied and Under-protected Key Habitats for Biodiversity Conservation") at the SIL Congress at this very same location. Since then, >5 special sessions have been organized at major limnological meetings (SIL, FWS, ASLO, SEFS). Despite these efforts, the global limnological community remains insufficiently aware, and therefore insufficiently supportive of spring science and stewardship. Nevertheless, important advances have been made by the small global community of spring biologists, ecologists and hydrogeologists, laying a better foundation for a deeper understanding of the ecology, biodiversity, geological and ecosystem types, socio-cultural values, and delineation of spring ecosystems, and the substantial differences between springs and other freshwater ecosystems, possibly justifying their recognition as a unique, though heterogeneous biome type. Fundamental global networking initiatives, the Springs Stewardship Institute, and the Fellowship of the Spring are improving education to the public, policy makers, and the ecohydrogeological sciences community to stem the tide of "crenic neglect", and expand awareness of this over-looked global conservation crisis.

SS070 Exploring the confluence of data, models, and forecasts for advancing adaptive management strategies for aquatic ecosystems

Mary Lofton, Virginia Tech ([email protected])
Rohit Shukla, Virginia Tech ([email protected])
Cayelan Carey, Virginia Tech ([email protected])

Management of aquatic ecosystems often requires extrapolating beyond current conditions to understand how ecosystems may respond to future management scenarios, climate conditions, or other environmental pressures. Ecological models and forecasts are widely applied to provide managers with estimates of future aquatic ecosystem conditions, yet tailoring model predictions, projections, and forecasts to specific management needs can be challenging. Moreover, advances in environmental sensing technology and machine learning in recent decades have led to increased availability of high-frequency, multi-scale data for many aquatic variables. This deluge of "big data" in aquatic sciences requires new approaches to iteratively assimilate these data into models and then update visualizations and dashboards used by decision-makers. In this session, we explore the confluence of data, models, predictions, and people to craft adaptive management strategies for aquatic ecosystems. We invite submissions that examine how data, models, and forecasts can be integrated into management decision-making processes. Relevant submissions could include development of data-driven workflows and automated pipelines to handle high-frequency aquatic ecosystem data, data-model integration, model development, iterative updating of model predictions, projections, and forecasts, uncertainty quantification, and development of management decision-making tools. We seek a diverse set of presentations across data science, modeling, and forecasting applications in aquatic ecosystems, with a common theme of using these technical tools and computational intelligence to co-design aquatic management frameworks that are resilient to ongoing anthropogenic and environmental pressures. Our overarching goal is to illuminate the value of modeling and forecasting as tools for bringing together people, data science, and knowledge to manage aquatic ecosystems.

SS072 Scaling up freshwater biodiversity research through data synthesis

Celia Symons, University of California, Irvine ([email protected])
Jason Stockwell, University of Vermont ([email protected])
Rachel Pilla, Oak Ridge National Laboratory ([email protected])
Michael Meyer, U.S. Geological Survey ([email protected])

While marine and terrestrial systems benefit from macroscale, multi-year community datasets, the freshwater realm — particularly inland lakes — has lagged behind due to fragmented monitoring efforts and the absence of standardized metadata formats. This session aims to bring together researchers and data stewards working at the intersection of freshwater biodiversity, long-term monitoring, and global change, highlighting new opportunities and approaches for synthetic research on freshwater organisms across time and space.

This session will showcase the development and application of large-scale freshwater datasets, such as the newly compiled Zooplankton International Geospatial (ZIG) dataset, the North Temperate Lakes LTER, the Freshwater Biodiversity Information System, and LAGOS - advancing the study of lakes at scale. Contributions will present results from large-scale investigations into biodiversity trends, drivers of community change, and responses to anthropogenic and climatic stressors made possible by large, harmonized biodiversity datasets. Contributions are especially encouraged that use harmonized datasets or develop novel methods for unifying disparate data streams across geography, time, and taxonomy. We also welcome conceptual and technical contributions that grapple with the challenges of synthesizing long-term ecological data, such as methodological mismatches, missing data, and data governance across cultural boundaries. By highlighting both the breakthroughs and persistent gaps, this session aims to inspire collaborations and enhance freshwater systems in global biodiversity science.

Ultimately, this session will foster dialogue among ecologists, data scientists, and monitoring program coordinators to accelerate progress toward a macroscale understanding of freshwater ecosystems. As anthropogenic pressures on inland water bodies continue to mount, the tools, data, and approaches discussed in this session are vital for informing conservation strategies, improving ecosystem management, and shaping the future of aquatic biodiversity research.

SS074 Remote Sensing of Inland Water Responses to Extreme Climatic Events: Local to Global Perspectives

Monica Pinardi, Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment, National Research Council ([email protected])
Mariano Bresciani, Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment, National Research Council ([email protected])
Dalin Jiang, University of Stirling ([email protected])

The frequency and intensity of extreme climate events — including heatwaves, prolonged droughts, intense storms and sudden temperature shifts — are increasing globally, posing abrupt changes and significant threats to the health and stability of aquatic ecosystems. These events can trigger rapid changes in water quality and quantity, ecosystem structure and biological productivity, with cascading effects on biodiversity, water availability and ecosystem services.

Remote sensing provides a unique opportunity to detect, monitor and understand the impacts of these extreme events across spatial and temporal scales. Satellite observations allow for the near-real-time tracking of surface temperature anomalies, hydrological fluctuations and changes in water quality indicators such as turbidity and chlorophyll-a. The combination of global satellite records with regional and local-scale studies offers valuable insights into how lakes and rivers respond to short-term climatic shocks and how these responses vary depending on geographic, morphological, and land-use contexts.

The goal of this session is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among limnologists, remote sensing modelers experts and water resource managers, aiming to strengthen our capacity to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of a rapidly changing climate on inland waters

This session welcomes contributions that leverage remote sensing to assess the impact of extreme climate events on inland waters, from individual case studies at local scales to global syntheses. We particularly encourage studies that:

Develop or apply satellite-based indicators to detect or quantify event-driven ecosystem changes Link remote sensing observations with in situ data or models (e.g. hydrodynamic, biochemistry, numerical wheather prediction) to interpret ecosystem responses Explore the interactions between water environment changes and climate extremes as well as anthrophogenic pressures Use long-term satellite datasets (e.g., from the ESA Lakes CCI) to identify trends or thresholds related to climatic extremes Develop new methods or datasets for monitoring water quality and quantity parameters from remote sensing

SS075 Aquatic pollution in an era of climate change and anthropogenic stress

Peleg Astrahan, IOLR ([email protected])
Tamar Guy-Haim, IOLR ([email protected])
Rodrigo Almeda-Garcia, ULPGC ([email protected])

While the impacts of pollutants on the health and vitality of aquatic organisms have been extensively studied, recent years have introduced a range of emerging environmental stressors that increasingly affect aquatic populations. When combined with chemical pollutants, these stressors may significantly alter — and likely exacerbate — the effects on aquatic food webs and ecosystem stability.

Of particular concern are dominant and increasingly prevalent pollutants such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and PFOS, which pose persistent and complex threats to aquatic environments. Their interaction with stressors like global warming, increased UV radiation, light pollution, and intensified human activity further amplifies and alters the ecological consequences.

This session will feature both oral and poster presentations addressing the effects of key pollutants on aquatic ecosystems. Special emphasis will be given to studies that highlight the compounded influence of additional stressors, offering new insights into the complex interactions shaping aquatic life today

SS076 Headwaters as Windows of Opportunity: Connecting Disciplines and Processes to Understand Watershed Functions in a Rapidly Changing World

Audrey Campeau, Université de Montréal ([email protected])
Marcus Wallin, Swedish University of Agriculture ([email protected])
Ryan Sponseller, Umeå University ([email protected])
David Butman, University of Washington ([email protected])

Headwater streams are fundamental links between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Despite their small size, headwaters make up the majority of river networks by length and disproportionately influence downstream flow, water quality, biogeochemical cycling, and overall ecosystem health. Despite their importance, fundamental questions about headwater systems remain unanswered, including where they are located, how their extent changes over time, what processes regulate their function, and what sources of water and matter sustain them. Advancing our fundamental understanding of these small systems will require tailored methodologies that can capture their unique characteristics and processes.

Human activities have extensively modified headwater networks through channelization, deforestation, agricultural conversion, and urban development, often disrupting their natural hydrological connectivity and processes. Because these systems are relatively small and accessible, they represent manageable units for restoration efforts that can provide multiple benefits with cascading watershed-scale improvements. Yet successful headwater restoration, simultaneously improving water quality, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and flood resilience, requires deep, fundamental understanding, as different systems often present unique challenges and opportunities.

How can we develop our understanding of watershed processes through the study of headwater systems? How can interdisciplinary approaches advance our understanding of headwater functions under environmental change? How do processes in these upstream reaches scale up to influence entire watersheds? How can we effectively translate fundamental headwater research into actionable strategies for watershed management and policy?

This session brings together researchers from diverse disciplines—including biogeochemistry, hydrology, ecology, geomorphology, and watershed management—to explore how headwater streams integrate physical, chemical, and biological processes across spatial and temporal scales. We welcome presentations that examine headwaters as sentinels of environmental change, drivers of downstream processes, hotspots of biogeochemical activity, critical habitat refugia, and focal points for restoration and conservation efforts.

SS077 Stable Isotope Solutions to Aquatic Ecology Problems

Alexander Frank, University of Bayreuth ([email protected])
Felix Elling, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel ([email protected])
Johannes Barth, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg ([email protected])

Stable isotope techniques have become essential tools for disentangling ecological and biogeochemical processes in aquatic systems. From tracing carbon and nutrient fluxes to resolving food web structures and identifying pollutant sources, isotope analyses provide integrative insights across temporal and spatial scales.

This session highlights innovative applications of stable isotopes (e.g., δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ¹⁸O, δ²H, δ³⁴S, δ¹⁷O, and non-traditional isotope systems) to pressing questions on the ecology of freshwater, coastal, and marine environments. We welcome contributions addressing topics such as nutrient cycling under climate change, anthropogenic impacts (e.g., wastewater discharge, land-use change, pollution), species interactions, biogeochemical processes, and hydrological connectivity.

Studies that combine isotopic approaches with complementary tools—such as modeling, molecular techniques, or citizen science—are particularly encouraged. By fostering interdisciplinary exchange, this session aims to showcase how stable isotopes contribute both to advancing our understanding of ecological processes and to developing solutions applicable to research and management of aquatic systems.

SS078 Urban waters under pressure: socio-ecological feedback and anthropogenic stressors in city ponds, streams, and estuaries

Maja Ilić, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany ([email protected])
Kristien I. Brans, Research group bDIV, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel ([email protected])
Zsófia Horváth, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research ([email protected])

Urban aquatic systems - ranging from small ponds and streams to extended estuaries - are hotspots of complex socio-ecological interactions. These waters face mounting pressures from anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, eutrophication and climate change. This session explores how these stressors impact ecosystem functions and alter the balance of services and disservices provided by urban waters, particularly in densely populated settings.

Urban ponds, often overlooked, play vital roles in nutrient cycling, biodiversity support, and recreational space provision, while also being susceptible to eutrophication and contamination. They not only represent an additional water source for animals in cities (such as birds), but also provide habitat, food and breeding grounds to many aquatic and semi-aquatic insects, amphibians and others. Furthermore, ponds (and other urban waters) increase the landscape connectivity, which supports species dispersion and therefore allows for higher resilience of such ecosystems when exposed to disturbances or stressors. Finally, urban ponds facilitate important ecosystem services, such as water management and stormwater storage in urban areas.

Urban streams are vital ecological corridors that support aquatic and riparian biodiversity, connect blue and green spaces, and enhance species movement. They contribute to key services, including flood mitigation and urban cooling. However, such streams face pressures such as channelization and altered flow regimes but can provide resilience and recreational value within urbanized landscapes when restored, protected and adequately managed.

Urban estuarine environments are productive transition zones that act as a buffer against storms and floods and protect cities from rising sea levels. Despite often being highly polluted, estuaries provide critical and diverse habitat particularly for migratory birds and juvenile fish due to variations in nutrient availability, physical conditions and salinity, thereby supporting enhanced biodiversity. Therefore, their ecological, recreational, and climate-regulating functions, and culture and economic value, remain of high importance in urban coastal regions.

We invite contributions that examine the feedback between human activities and ecological processes, and how these dynamics shape resilience or vulnerability in urban waterscapes. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary approaches and innovative methodologies, including mesocosm and transplant experiments that simulate and capture multiple-stressor scenarios, eDNA techniques for assessing biodiversity and ecosystem health, and citizen science initiatives that engage communities in monitoring and stewardship. We also welcome contributions addressing ecological engineering in the cities, such as the implementation of blue-green infrastructures. By integrating ecological, social, and technological perspectives, this session aims to highlight novel insights into how urban waters respond to anthropogenic pressures and how interdisciplinary research can guide future study and stewardship.

SS079 Emerging Directions in Community-based Water Monitoring, Participatory Science, and Transdisciplinary Engagements

Edward Millar, University of Windsor ([email protected])
Emily Nodine, Rollins College ([email protected])
Jason Evans, Stetson University ([email protected])
Andrew Bramburger, Environment & Climate Change Canada (ECCC) ([email protected])

Community-based water monitoring (CBWM) and participatory approaches to freshwater science and management have long played a role in increasing the scale and scope of data collection, codifying local knowledge, informing lake management practices, and mobilizing engaged publics. While CBWM has been recognized for its contributions to environmental data and public engagement, shifting political landscapes, funding sources, and emerging technological capabilities are generating new tensions and raising new questions.

This session considers a range of critical questions that are emerging: How do the differing goals of scientific rigor, public education, environmental justice, and enjoyment of nature coexist or collide in community science programs? How do funding structures (government, civil society, private sector) influence program design, and which kinds of science or engagement are prioritized or marginalized as a result? Does the marketing of CBWM as low-cost and efficient justify funding cuts to conventional approaches to freshwater monitoring? With the growing interest in automated sensing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, are we entering an era where new approaches to data collection and analysis reshape participation, reconfiguring community scientists as passive data collectors rather than active collaborators? What constitutes "real science" in a participatory program, and to what extent should our understandings of science be expanded to include qualitative local knowledge and community insights? Participation inequality remains a persistent concern, shaped by the demographics of community science, and the motivations driving volunteer engagement. Existing research suggests that many volunteers are already scientists or professionals in adjacent fields, raising questions about who is included or excluded. At the same time, the accessibility of new tools, apps and mobile platforms make claims to democratize access to monitoring, but not without complications.

Transdisciplinary engagement offers a promising framework to explore these themes. This session invites interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contributions that examine emerging issues in aquatic citizen science and freshwater public engagement, with a particular focus on lakes as both ecological systems and social spaces. From visual artists collaborating with scientists to reinterpret data, to interactive story maps, narratives and storytelling grounded in lived experience, such initiatives expand what counts as knowledge and who counts as a knower. Yet, these hybrid forms also challenge disciplinary boundaries: when does the outcome of a science-art collaboration become less credible in the eyes of scientists (or artists)? How can we develop practices that honor multiple epistemologies without subordinating one to another? Finally, we seek to explore the ethical and philosophical dimensions of CBWM: What makes data "real" or "valid"? What roles should volunteers play in research design, interpretation, and sense-making? What benefits or ethical issues might AI bring to interdisciplinary collaborations between ecology and social sciences? This session explores how transdisciplinary approaches can help navigate the evolving tensions, opportunities, and ethics of community science in an era of technological change and shifting socio-political contexts.

SS080 Global examples and perspectives for improving lake and reservoir water quality

Danielle Wain, 7 Lakes Alliance ([email protected])
Carolina Barbosa, Colorado State University ([email protected])
Brian Ginn, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority ([email protected])

Lakes, as vital freshwater resources, face increasing pressures from human activities and climate change, leading to widespread water quality degradation. This session focuses on sharing global examples and perspectives for improving lake and reservoir water quality, highlighting the importance of sustainable management and restoration practices. The session aims to explore diverse approaches, from preventative measures to innovative restoration techniques, and emphasize the need for integrated strategies that consider ecological, economic, and social factors, promoting sustainable solutions for long-term lake health. We seek abstracts that:

Showcase successful examples of lake water quality restoration and management, as well as early-stages and ongoing projects to improve it Highlight successful lake restoration projects from different regions, including diverse approaches to nutrient management and climate change adaptation Feature effective (or ineffective!) examples of lake management, highlighting adaptations to local conditions and monitoring strategies to determine success Analyze the common challenges faced in lake management, such as nutrient pollution, climate change impacts, and invasive species, and identify opportunities for innovation and collaboration Facilitate discussions and knowledge exchange among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community stakeholders to advance the field of lake restoration Pinpoint key research gaps and areas for future investigation to support the development of more effective lake management strategies

This session will be an opportunity to connect lake researchers and lake management professionals to help drive science-based management practices.

SS081 Coupled Elemental Cycles in River Systems: Emerging Patterns, Stoichiometric Shifts, and Anthropogenic Drivers

Joanna Carey, Babson College ([email protected])
Jessica Corman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln ([email protected])
Kathi Jo Jankowski, USGS ([email protected])
Lienne Sethna, Science Museum of Minnesota ([email protected])

River systems are critical integrators of elemental fluxes across landscapes, linking terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric processes. The coupled biogeochemical cycling of many elements influences ecosystem productivity, water quality, and greenhouse gas dynamics, which in turn affect biogeochemical transformations. Importantly, elemental cycles are increasingly disrupted by anthropogenic pressures such as land use change, fertilizer production and use, and climate variability.

This session invites contributions that explore the interactions among coupled elemental cycles, or "elemental stoichiometry", in riverine environments. We welcome contributions across spatial and temporal scales, including major macronutrients, quasi-essential nutrients, and trace elements. Studies that investigate how shifts in elemental ratios affect microbial metabolism, nutrient retention, primary production, and ecosystem functioning are encouraged. Submissions may include field observations, experimental studies, modeling approaches, or synthesis efforts that address the causes and consequences of stoichiometric imbalances.

We are also interested in research that examines the role of drivers—such as agricultural intensification, urbanization, climate change, and evolving nutrient management practices—in altering elemental ratios in rivers. Contributions that integrate hydrology, land use, and biogeochemistry to assess future scenarios or inform watershed-scale management strategies are welcome.

This session aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and highlight emerging tools and frameworks—such as high-frequency sensors, isotopic tracers, and process-based models—that advance our understanding of coupled elemental dynamics in river systems. We seek to identify knowledge gaps, promote collaborative research, and support the development of science-based solutions for managing nutrient pollution and sustaining riverine ecosystem health in a changing world.

SS082 Mesocosm-based approaches for tackling grand challenges in aquatic ecosystems

Cihelio Alves Amorim, WasserCluster Lunz - Biologische Station GmbH ([email protected])
Maja Ilić, University of Cologne ([email protected])
Anna Schmidt, University of Vermont ([email protected])
Gabriela Ágreda-López, IMDEA Water Research Institute ([email protected])
Gülce Yalcin, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries ([email protected])

Mesocosm experiments have become an essential approach for addressing grand challenges in aquatic sciences, especially those related to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and responses to environmental change. By closing the gap between laboratory experiments and natural systems, mesocosms are a powerful tool for testing ecological theories, investigating functional diversity, and understanding the impacts of global change. They allow researchers to explore biogeochemical processes, understand the response of communities and organisms to individual, multiple, and/or combined stressors, and inform nature-based solutions to global problems.

This session aims to highlight recent advances in mesocosm-based research. We invite contributions from limnological and oceanographic studies that apply experimental approaches to freshwater (e.g., lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, streams), marine, or transitional ecosystems (e.g., estuaries, coastal lagoons, wetlands, riparian areas). Of particular interest are studies addressing (1) grand ecological challenges for aquatic ecosystems related to climate change impacts, alterations of biodiversity, land/sea use, and pollution; (2) emerging and interdisciplinary topics, such as (but not limited to) functional traits and diversity, community assembly, ecosystem stability, trophic interactions, global change impacts, and restoration or management strategies; (3) novel mesocosm designs, innovative experimental methods, and data integration across spatial or temporal scales; (4) mesocosms as a tool for testing nature-based solutions for climate and anthropogenic impacts.

This session, led by the AQUACOSM Early-Career Researcher Network, provides a space for researchers to share findings, discuss challenges, and connect with peers and senior scientists working in similar areas. By encouraging collaboration and visibility (among the AQUACOSM network and beyond), we aim to reinforce the Early Career Researcher (ECR) community in experimental aquatic science and advance the role of mesocosm-based research in addressing global environmental challenges. We encourage abstract submissions for both oral and poster presentations. Contributions from undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other early-career scientists are especially welcome.

SS083 Salinization of inland waters: Impacts on food webs, water quality, and biogeochemical cycles

Matthew Bogard, University of Lethbridge ([email protected])
Sarian Kosten, Radboud University ([email protected])
Sheel Bansal, U.S. Geological Survey ([email protected])
Erik Jeppesen, Aarhus University ([email protected])

Climate change, sea-level rise, hydrological alterations, and pollution are accelerating global salinization of inland waters, which undoubtedly impacts ecosystem functioning through changes in vegetation structure, food-web composition, sediment structure, and more. Salinization also influences biogeochemical carbon and nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions from inland waters, which can alter their climate impacts. It is urgent and pivotal to reveal and unravel these impacts, as societies depend on ecosystem services that inland waters provide. A major challenge in developing generalized theory is the lack of data on fundamental ecological and biogeochemical impacts of salinity, largely because research on inland waters is biased toward freshwater systems. We invite presentations that address all aspects of salinization research (from ecological, biogeochemical, and physical perspectives) spanning saline to salinizing aquatic ecosystems (lakes, ponds, wetlands, reservoirs, coastal). This session aims to build a research community to jointly address these knowledge and data gaps on inland saline waters and help identify priority research areas.

SS084 Reducing the uncertainties in methane emissions from aquatic environments

Mina Bizic, TU Berlin ([email protected])
Sofia Balina, Radbaoud University ([email protected])
Tonya DelSontro, University of Waterloo ([email protected])
Paul del Giorgio, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])
Yves Prairie, Université du Québec à Montréal ([email protected])

Freshwater, brackish, and marine environments significantly contribute to global methane emissions; however, the large variability in reported values remains a primary source of uncertainty in quantifying their overall contribution.

The variability in methane emissions from different types of aquatic systems, across various spatial scales, from ponds to large lakes, streams to rivers, estuaries, and oceans, hinders the generation of large-scale models. Novel methanogenesis processes discovered in the last decade are major contributors to methane emissions. However, their individual contribution to local and global emissions across spatial and temporal scales is far from understood. Furthermore, there is minimal information on their isotopic signatures. These gaps in knowledge play a major role in the discrepancies between top-down and bottom-up approaches when evaluating the role of aquatic systems in the global methane budget.

Additionally, unlike over land, methane emissions from aquatic systems cannot, at the moment, be reliably estimated through satellite-based remote sensing. Thus, measurable parameters that may serve as proxies to methane emission are needed to allow us to make use of the high spatial and temporal resolution of satellite data available today. For example, correlations have been shown between chlorophyll concentrations and methane fluxes, yet these have not been yet validated on all types of water bodies.

We welcome contributions aiming at improving the upscaling of methane production, consumption, transport, and emissions estimates from different aquatic bodies from local to regional and global scales. Studies may relate to quantification of classic and novel processes and pathways, large-scale spatio-temporal studies, isotopic characterization of novel methane sources, as well as novel methodological approaches to quantify methane emissions from water.

SS088 Trophic Ecology and Biogeochemistry in Aquatic Food Webs: Integrating Novel Techniques to Disentangle Ecosystem Dynamics

Rita García Seoane, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña ([email protected])
Maja Ilić, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne ([email protected])
Grégoire Saboret, Department of Ocean Sciences, UC Santa Cruz ([email protected])

Understanding trophic interactions, nutrient cycling, and energy flow is central to food web ecology. However, disentangling these processes within and across environments/habitats, and tracing the origin of nutrients, energy and matter, remains a major challenge due to the complexity of food webs in and beyond aquatic systems. While traditional observational and experimental approaches have been essential, they often fall short in resolving fine-scale ecological dynamics. In response, a suite of powerful new techniques is emerging, providing more accurate data and novel insights, though many still require further development and testing.

This session invites contributions that showcase the application of novel and advanced techniques in trophic ecology across freshwater and marine environments. Recent methodological innovations, such as compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) of both amino acids and fatty acids, DNA metabarcoding and genomics, and ecological network modelling, have improved our ability to resolve food web complexity. These tools help quantify the dietary (biochemical) quality of the prey, assess consumer dietary requirements and metabolic constraints, and improve resolution of trophic interactions in dynamic environments. Furthermore, a combination with classical approaches, such as bulk stable isotope analysis, fatty acid profiles, and metal analysis, has shown potential to help solve fundamental questions in aquatic ecology, including the role of microbial and cryptic trophic pathways in nutrient cycling. These approaches also enable ecologists to better quantify shifts in species interactions, food web structure, and energy transfer in response to environmental change and anthropogenic stressors, across spatial and temporal scales.

This session aims to bring together trophic ecologists, biogeochemists, molecular and experimental ecologists, and modelers from both freshwater and marine disciplines who are applying innovative and cutting-edge methods, or combine multiple approaches in interdisciplinary studies. By fostering dialogue across fields and methodological approaches, we hope to build synergies and drive progress on long-standing questions about aquatic food web structure and function.

SS091 Bridging the Gap between Microbial Community Biodiversity, Ecosystem Function, and Ecological Restoration

Jackie Lemaire, University of Wisconsin Madison ([email protected])
Katherine (Trina) McMahon, University of Wisconsin – Madison ([email protected])
Augustina Nnenna Okereke, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research ([email protected])
Adeniyi Osas, Osun State University ([email protected])
Ayokunle Ilesome, Imo State University ([email protected])

This session aligns various research from natural environments; beginning with microbial diversity and evolution through time in freshwater systems and moves into the effects of pollution on microbial diversity and sustainable ecosystem management.

Genome sequencing of aquatic ecosystems is a powerful approach for detection of microbial species community composition and for assessing the driver's maintaining diversity in natural populations. Bacteria and archaea are the most diverse organisms on earth, inhabiting nearly every type of environment, but how we delineate species across these distinct ecosystems remains up for debate. Investigating evolutionary patterns across both time and space is important for disentangling and merging genetic diversity with distinct ecological diversity. Freshwater and marine microbial genomics are being used to unravel microbial community dynamics and understand the implications of change with respect to community function.

Environmetal pollution occurs through geological industrial processing of ore and metals, petroleum exploitation, vessel repair facilities, industrial waste, oil spills and human feces contamination. The release of these contaminants from sediments and water may result in the re-suspension from sediment of particulates. This can negatively impact the aquatic organisms in water and sediments. Microorganisms play important roles in the ecological process and nutrient dynamics of the aquatic ecosystem.

Microbial communities are sensitive to these and other environmental disturbances, yet also adaptable. This is becoming even more important as environmental stresses are increasing globally. Recent studies have identified microdiversity at the strain or sub-species level as important for understanding microbial evolution. Drivers of this biodiversity can be abiotic and biotic in natural populations, both having strong effects along the convergence of ecology and evolution. We aim to bring together scientists across microbial ecology to explore similarities and differences across niche environments and the microbial inhabitants within them that are driving biogeochemical processes in these ecosystems.

The goal of this session is to bridge the gap between freshwater and marine research to share new technologies and cutting-edge science in various spectrums of freshwater and ocean microbiology-related research areas. The extent of the risks and concentrations of microorganisms in relation to season and location deserves more investigation due to the complexity of biochemical activities that alter their availability in water, tissues, and sediments. Thus, understanding of seasonal variation and geographic location as a result of climate change of microbial concentrations becomes neccessary for the prediction of its reponse to climate change to advance future ecological restoration across ecosytems.

SS092 Trait-Based Plankton Ecology and Environmental Change

Sabine Wollrab, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries ([email protected])
Mia Stockenreiter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München ([email protected])
Herwig Stibor, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München ([email protected])
Philippe Pondaven, Université de Bretagne Occidentale ([email protected])

Planktonic primary producers form the basis of aquatic food webs, and their community dynamics are tightly coupled to the prevailing physical and chemical conditions of aquatic systems. Ongoing climate change is altering key physical and chemical parameters—such as the timing and duration of summer stratification, average water temperature and nutrient cycling—with far‑reaching implications for plankton phenology and community composition. Although the fundamental relationships between physicochemical variables and phytoplankton growth are well established (e.g., as described in the conceptual Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model), the accurate prediction of bloom initiation, intensity, and taxonomic composition remains elusive. Advancing our predictive capacity requires a mechanistic understanding of bloom formation that explicitly incorporates species diversity and associated functional traits. Trait‑based frameworks promise to clarify how particular trait combinations confer competitive advantages under shifting environmental conditions and, consequently, how they shape bloom dynamics. We therefore welcome contributions that address trait‑based plankton ecology linked to phenological responses of plankton communities to environmental change across marine, coastal, and freshwater systems based on experimental, empirical as well as theoretical approaches.

SS095 The Overlooked Bloom: Benthic Cyanobacteria and Their Toxins in Aquatic Ecosystems

Sven Meissner, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) ([email protected])
Charlotte Schampera, German Environment Agency (UBA) ([email protected])

Benthic cyanobacteria, which grow on sediments, rocks, plants and other submerged surfaces, are receiving increased attention from water authorities and aquatic science due to their ability to produce potent neurotoxins and their ecological importance. However, research on these cyanobacteria is challenging and requires new approaches and methodologies in order to determine their complex roles in biogeochemical cycling and benthic food webs.

Historically overshadowed by planktonic cyanobacterial blooms, benthic mass proliferations are now being reported more frequently in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands. The dynamics of these systems are shaped by environmental factors such as the availability of light, the flow regime, the type of substrate, microbial interactions, and the input and mobilization of nutrients. Despite these global occurrences, scientific and regulatory attention remains fragmented and critical questions persist.

What conditions trigger toxin production in benthic mats? How do microbial communities influence their growth and toxicity? Which monitoring strategies are effective across diverse aquatic habitats?

Recent advances in molecular, imaging and omics-based techniques are providing new insights into the physiological traits of benthic cyanobacteria and how they interact with the surrounding environment. However, standardized approaches to sampling, detection, risk assessment and management are still lacking. Furthermore, toxic and non-toxic strains frequently coexist, rendering simple presence/absence data inadequate for health risk evaluations.

In line with the theme of the ASLO-SIL 2026 Meeting, 'Aquatic Confluence: Science, People, Knowledge', this session invites contributions exploring benthic cyanobacteria and their toxins in freshwater, marine and transitional systems. We particularly encourage submissions that address:

Comparative ecology and toxin production in lentic, lotic and coastal environments Methodological developments for field and laboratory-based applications Environmental and biological drivers of benthic proliferation and toxicity Human and ecological health implications Citizen science and co-created monitoring initiatives Cross-system synthesis and standardization efforts

The aim of this session is to connect the global research community working on benthic cyanobacteria, which is currently scattered across different aquatic domains. By bringing together limnologists, oceanographers, ecotoxicologists and environmental health experts, we are seeking to establish an interdisciplinary foundation for tackling this emerging issue collaboratively. Early-career researchers and those working in underrepresented regions are particularly welcome to contribute.

Let's shine a light on what is often overlooked – benthic cyanobacteria are much more than just stuck to the bottom.

Education and Policy Sessions

EP001 Ecosystem Processes in a Changing World: Honoring the Career of Mike Pace

Grace Wilkinson, University of Wisconsin - Madison ([email protected])
Jonathan Walter, University of California Davis ([email protected])

Dr. Michael Pace has made substantial and lasting contributions to our understanding of freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems through his work on food web dynamics, carbon cycling, ecosystem metabolism, resilience, and long-term ecological change. His research, which often integrates whole-ecosystem experiments, comparative studies, and long-term observations, has helped to advance our understanding of how aquatic ecosystems respond to natural and human-driven change. For this session, we invite contributions that reflect and extend the themes of Pace's work, including (but not limited to) ecosystem-scale manipulations, trophic interactions in planktonic and microbial systems, biogeochemical responses to global change, and ecosystem resilience. The session will also highlight the community of researchers shaped by Mike's thoughtful approach to science, mentorship, and collaboration

EP002 The Waters We Share: Challenges and Successes in Outreach

Emily King, COSEE China, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University ([email protected])
Laura Falkenberg, University of South Australia, UniSA STEM ([email protected])
Vera Shi, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University ([email protected])

Many scientists recognize the importance and value of strong science communication skills and around the world researchers, departments, and institutions are conducting impactful outreach programs. When done effectively, aquatic science communication can foster understanding, inspire action, and support informed decision-making at all levels of society.

This session invites scientists, educators, and science communicators to share their experiences and strategies for engaging audiences across disciplines, cultures, and media. As the focus is on inclusive and innovative communication, we particularly encourage reflections on international outreach efforts where language, cultural differences, and varying levels of scientific literacy present unique challenges and opportunities. We welcome examples of communication through formal and informal talks, writing, books, animations, social media, visual arts, and other creative formats that make science accessible and impactful. Presentations may highlight successes, share lessons learned from challenges (both expected and unexpected), as well as thoughts on how to achieve successful engagement.

By exchanging ideas and learning from one another's successes and setbacks, we aim to inspire more resonant communication that empowers the science we need for the world we want.

EP004 Curating Limnology with Kindness: Contributions of Prof. Jim Cotner, Mentor, Colleague, and Scientist, to the Freshwater Sciences

Ed Hall, Colorado State University ([email protected])
Dr. Thad Scott, Baylor University ([email protected])
Bopaiah Biddanda, Grand Valley State University ([email protected])

Microbial limnologist, Dr. Jim Cotner, has built a remarkable career with major contributions to the freshwater science over a range of subjects (from genes to ecosystems) and sub-disciplines (from microbial ecology to biogeochemistry). For over four decades, Jim has explored how microbes shape aquatic environments through their composition and metabolism. In particular, he has applied ecological stoichiometry to advance our understanding of the role of microbes in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in freshwater ecosystems. In recent years, Jim has also been a strong advocate for the protection of freshwater resources, our global commons. Perhaps more importantly, he has achieved all this in his unique way of mentoring and collaborating with kindness and humor – and when we were lucky, in rhymed couplets. This session features contributions from current and former mentees, collaborators, colleagues, and others influenced by Jim to share their original research and provide examples of how their interactions with Jim have influenced their work and lives

EP006 A Decade of Insights with the Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellowship: Exploring Equity, Open Access, and Innovation in Scientific Publishing

Frank Akamagwuna, University of Alabama ([email protected])
Jessie Turner, Old Dominion University ([email protected])
Paul F Kemp, University of Hawai'i ([email protected])

This session celebrates ten years of the ASLO Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellowship (RCEF), a transformative initiative empowering early career researchers (ECRs) in scientific publishing. Established in 2017 through a generous endowment by Dale and Ross Cole in honor of Raelyn Cole, former managing editor of Limnology & Oceanography, the RCEF has become a platform for ECRs wishing to advance equity, open access, and mentorship in scientific publishing. Over the past decade, Fellows have investigated and championed key initiatives in open access publishing, responsible authorship, AI ethics in scientific writing, and inclusive ECR mentorship. This session will highlight the diverse contributions and lived experiences of current and past Fellows–ranging from editorial innovations and public outreach to survey-driven insights into scientific publishing practices. Fellows will also reflect on how the RCEF has shaped their own career trajectories and informed broader conversations about transparency, equity, and leadership in scientific publishing. In addition to showcasing RCEF-led projects, this session also invites contributions from across the ASLO and SIL communities. We welcome submissions from researchers at all career stages, including recipients of the L&O Letters Early Career Publication Honor and others exploring key challenges and innovations in scientific publishing. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Open science and access equity, Effective writing and peer review practices, Use and regulation of AI in scientific writing, ECR leadership in editorial practice, Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in publishing, and New publishing models and metrics.

Keywords: Scientific Publishing, Peer Review, Equity and Inclusion, Open Access, Early Career Researchers

EP010 Sharing experiences among early-career researchers in aquatic science: unleashing the power of collaboration

Benjamin Misteli, WasserCluster Lunz ([email protected])
Alia Benedict, University of Minnesota ([email protected])
Pascal Bodmer, Cornell University ([email protected])
Bruno Cremella, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche ([email protected])
Brittany Schieler, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography ([email protected])
Adina Paytan, University of California Santa Cruz ([email protected])
Susanne Menden-Deuer, University of Rhode Island ([email protected])

The future of aquatic science will be built on the connections we make today. This special session is a platform for early-career researchers (ECRs) to share and explore meaningful strategies for collaboration, an important tool to boost career development, and to highlight ongoing society programs designed to support ECRs' growth within the aquatic sciences. Jointly organised by members of the ECR networks of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), the International Society of Limnology (SIL), and the European Federation for Freshwater Sciences (EFFS-EFYR), the session highlights the active role that ECRs currently play in shaping the direction of aquatic sciences while brewing a culture for academic collaboration amidst a climate of uncertainty. We will also showcase existing society programs that facilitate these exchanges and provide structure for sustained skill building and career development.

By sharing the experiences of ECRs who have participated in collaborative projects, we aim to inspire future collaborations among the next generation of aquatic scientists and help them build their careers. ECRs face challenges such as job insecurity, career planning, and mental health pressures. In addition, research collaborations are increasingly international, meaning ECRs must learn how to communicate with scientists in other countries, obtain funding for international work, overcome technical obstacles such as shipping and permits, and navigate language and cultural barriers. Besides advancing science, collaboration also provides valuable networks and mutual support for ECRs to tackle these challenges.

This session welcomes presentations that showcase any form of collaboration by ECRs. We will consider established, formal programs for ECRs such as the LOREX program (ASLO Limnology and Oceanography Exchange) or FreshProjects (collaborative ECR projects organised by EFFS-EFYR in Europe) and especially encourage unconventional or bottom-up approaches that innovate ways of working together. Such approaches may include, but are not limited to, literature or data syntheses, experimental approaches, or coordinated fieldwork studies.

Through these contributions, we hope to showcase how ECRs can succeed when given the opportunity to collaborate. We also hope to inspire the community and scientific societies to not only protect, but to support more ECR-driven collaborations and ECR-focused initiatives that advance the fields of limnology and oceanography and their emerging leaders forward. Finally, we encourage societies and institutions to actively include ECRs when creating their strategies for the future.

EP011 'How to' – compiling collective knowledge to reduce barriers for first-timers

Rita Franco-Santos, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia ([email protected])
Laura Falkenberg, UniSA STEM, University of South Australia ([email protected])

Students and early career professionals (jointly referred to as ECRs) in aquatic sciences often learn how to perform the many intricate activities necessary for the craft by doing them. For some, completing these tasks may be facilitated by direct guidance from someone with relevant expertise. For others, 'doing' entails not only the action itself, but also spending countless hours and potentially resources first trying to figure out how to do it. We have all struggled with a professional task at one moment or another – sometimes even when expert guidance was available. The Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin is a great vehicle for sharing knowledge with peers, especially first-timers, and has previously published pieces on incorporating science communication into graduate training, explaining the process of peer review, negotiating your salary, managing your time, among others. Scientists highly value such publications because they make their lives easier. The journal is currently actively seeking additional 'How to' pieces, to gather and compile undocumented knowledge on various topics in aquatic sciences that can then be used by ECRs (and anyone at later stages) who need to perform a given task for the first time in their career (or are looking for a different way to approach a routine task. This session invites submissions from professionals at all career stages who have knowledge of a particular activity related to a career in aquatic sciences, such as how to: plan a field trip, create a sample tracking system, set up and run your own lab, organise a workshop, write a successful grant proposal, be a good mentor or mentee, among others. Talks given at this session will be considered for publication (if not already published) as a 'How to' piece in the Bulletin.

EP012 Ecological stoichiometry and much more: Celebrating the scientific legacy of Jim Elser's work on lakes, phosphorus, and everything in between

Paul Frost, Trent University ([email protected])
Elena Bennett, McGill University ([email protected])
Jessica Corman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln ([email protected])
Eric Moody, Middlebury College ([email protected])

This session will focus on key areas of the scientific legacy produced by the long and fruitful career of Jim Elser to honor his upcoming retirement. Beginning with his work on the relative availability of key nutrients in temperate lake ecosystems, Jim ultimately took ecological stoichiometry into a wide range of aquatic ecosystems around the globe including Canada, Mexico, Norway, Argentina, and China. Along with Bob Sterner, he co-authored the seminal book, Ecological Stoichiometry: The Biology of Elements from Molecules to the Biosphere, which formalized the stoichiometric perspective and led to applications on an untold number and diversity of ecological topics. His work on phosphorus also led him to become heavily invested in studying and advocating for the sustainability of the global phosphorus system. Regardless of the research topic or field, Jim has been passionate about science education and interdisciplinary collaboration, which are areas that he embraced most recently as Director of the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station. This session will include presentations from Jim's collaborators, former lab members, and others whose careers were influenced by him. We will encourage presenters to discuss how Jim Elser's work contributed to our current knowledge of the role of nutrients in ecosystems and to explore future directions in these areas. Research areas could include (but are not limited to): ecological stoichiometry, phosphorus sustainability, lake trophic interactions, role of nutrients in lakes, snow algae, nutrient limitation, stromatolites, nutrient cycling, nitrogen deposition.

EP013 Two-eyed seeing: the complementarity of indigenous knowledge and western science for aquatic sustainability

Roxane Maranger, Université de Montréal ([email protected])
Susanna Wood, Lincoln University ([email protected])
Simon Stewart, Cawthron Institute ([email protected])
Katrine Turgeon, Université du Québec en Outaouais ([email protected])

There are a growing number of research programs in many parts of the world that are working in partnership with indigenous knowledge holders to improve understanding and design more salient solutions for the protection and sustainable future of water and water resources. Part of the success of two-eyed seeing is embedded in respecting the deeply rooted traditional place base knowledge Indigenous cultures have with the land and waters, and a shared understanding of the issues of concerns. In this session, we invite scholars and indigenous knowledge holders to share how their projects came into being, the frameworks and values used in partnership, research objectives and outcomes, and/or longer-term objectives around water and water resource sustainability. One of the desired aims of this session is an opportunity to learn from the diversity of activities and perspectives being carried out in different regions of the world, to understand commonalities and differences to fast track progress to protect aquatic ecosystems.

Amplifying Voices

AV001 Amplifying Voices in Aquatic Sciences: Aquatic Confluence

Pascal Bodmer, Cornell University ([email protected])
Bianca M. Rodríguez-Cardona, International Institute of Tropical Forestry ([email protected])
Mina Bizic, Technical University of Berlin ([email protected])
Carolina Barbosa, Colorado State University ([email protected])
Members of the Early Career Committee (ECC), Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, ASLO ([email protected])

In an era of accelerating global change, it is crucial to pause and reflect on how our actions today affect and alter our planet. Addressing the pressing current and future environmental challenges faced by aquatic systems, especially at the interfaces with other ecosystems, requires international and multidisciplinary research efforts to ensure inclusive, holistic, and innovative solutions. The ASLO Early Career Committee (ECC) seeks to enhance global collaboration and networking opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs*). Through the "Amplifying Voices" series, a combination of webinars and conference sessions, we aim to visualize contributions of ECRs from underrepresented** groups in Aquatic Sciences.

Following a high attendance at the Amplifying Voices sessions at previous ASLO meetings, we are excited to bring "Amplifying Voices" to the ASLO-SIL 2026 Joint Meeting, inviting ECRs worldwide who cannot attend the conference in person to present their research in a pre-recorded format. We invite all presentations that promote our ability to address current issues facing our aquatic systems. Selected talks will be grouped by topic to form a cohesive session. As presenters will not attend or have access to the conference, abstract submission and registration fees will be waived for this session. Presenters of selected abstracts must submit a pre-recorded talk with contact information so viewers can follow up with questions.

*PhD students and non-tenured researchers <10 years since award of highest degree.

**including ethnic origin and ethnicity, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, geographic location, or any other component of identity underrepresented in science.

Contributed Sessions

CS001 Aquatic Invasion Ecology

Pascal Bodmer, Cornell Univeristy ([email protected])

Thematic session.

CS003 Coastal Ecosystems

Osvaldo Iván Ulloa Quijada, Universidad de Concepción Chile ([email protected])

Thematic session.

CS004 Community Ecology

Michele Burford, Griffith University ([email protected])
Roxanne Razavi, SUNY ESF ([email protected])

Thematic session.

CS006 Fish and Fisheries

Isaac Armstrong, Queen's University Canada ([email protected])

Thematic session.

CS007 Zooplankton Ecology and Physiology

Nandini Sarma, FES Iztacala, UNAM ([email protected])
S. S. S. Sarma, FES Iztacala, UNAM ([email protected])

Thematic session.