Services

• Project coordination
• Scientific research in aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicology, molecular ecotoxicology, ecology, limnology, histology, electron microscopy in close cooperation with the Animal Physiological Ecology Department, University of Tuebingen
• Scientific reviews and consulting for industry, government and administration
• education and training, also for children
• arrangement and procurement of complete packages for chemical analyses
• Investigations according to guidline 98/8/EU (Biozidrichtlinie) and REACH in cooperation with the Steinbeis-Transfer Center for Applied and Environmental Chemistry, Reutlingen

Main Topics

• Effects of environmental stressors including xenobiotics in aquatic and terrestrial organisms
• Ecotoxicological and limnological characterization of freshwater ecosystems
• Effects and side-effects of pesticides in target and non-target organisms
• Ecotoxicological tests with isolated substances or xenobiotic mixtures in laboratory, semi-field and field experiments
• Biomarkers in fish, terrestrial invertebrates (gastropods, isopods, myriapods, annelida) and aquatic invertebrates (gastropods, amphipods) as diagnostic tools in aquatic and terrestrial risk assessment
• Ultrastructural effects resulting from environmental stress in fish and invertebrates
• Behavioural changes of fish and invertebrates, partly in cooperation with Limco Int
• Mode of action of molluscicides
• Efficiency control in food additives especially for fish (aquaculture, aquaristics)
• Efficiency control of renaturation activities

Project Examples

Ecotoxicology

• Coordination of the projects Valimar: VALIdation of BIOmarkers for the assessment of small stream pollution(12 participants from universities and private companies)and SchussenAktiv
• Publication of the VALIMAR results in the Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery (Guest Editors: Triebskorn & Köhler)
• Assessment of causal relationships between mass deaths of fish, bivalves or crayfish and environmental pollution
• Cooperative project with the TU Dresden (Prof. Nagel) on endocrine effects in gammarids
• Cooperative project with the Bavarian Water Management Agency, Dept. Aquatic Ecology Research, Wielenbach (Dr. Schwaiger) on the effects of pharmaceuticals on the ultrastructure of different organs in fish
• Histological studies related to a validation study of the ELS-test with zebrafish(OECD 210) coordinated by the TU Dresden
• Project partner in the EU-Project Nomiracle

Ecophysiology

• Efficiency control of new molluscicidal baits; studies on mode of action (private agencies)
• Efficiency control of fish diets or diet additives for protected and endangered species(public authorities)and for aquaristics (private companies)
• Cause analysis: Fish health in Baden-Württemberg

Our Team

• Prof. Dr. Rita Triebskorn
• Dr. Volker Scheil
• Dipl.-Biol. Nils Dittbrenner
• Cand. biol. Isabelle Moser
• Temporary  members of staff from Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen