Lakes

Senior Research Scientist, PhD

Researcher Scientist, PhD

Researcher Scientist, PhD

FutureLakes aims to show how technological and nature-based solutions can revolutionise the protection of European lakes.

A newly released Nature paper with several NIVA co-authors highlights a continued management need for reduction of nutrient stress in lakes. It also shows that river management requires more complicated approaches to tackle several stressors simultaneously.

A vast number of new wastewater treatment plants in developing countries has led to an imbalance between phosphorous and nitrogen in surface waters. The result could be excessive growth of potentially poisonous algae with a preference for nitrogen. A new study calls for better nutrient reduction in order to maintain ecosystem biodiversity.

In the BEDREVANN project, we will study the impact of cyanotoxin-contaminated irrigation water in agriculture and the risk to food producers and end users with Akersvannet in Vestfold as a pilot area. Akersvannet is a highly nutrient-rich lake with annual blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria. Water from the lake is used to irrigate surrounding agricultural areas where vegetables are largely grown, and this can pose a risk to safe food production.

We need to improve our understanding of the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in surface waters, particularly downstream of urban waste water treatment plants. However, at present there is no European overview of the presence of AMR in surface waters. This project will develop a basic approach and methodology for a European scale AMR monitoring of surface waters.

FuNitr will yield new knowledge and tools directly applicable to the safe realisation of CO2 capture technology, and thereby supporting the Norwegian Longship project for CO2 capture and storage. 

The overarching objective of FutureLakes is to demonstrate innovative solutions needed to transform European lake restoration.

The programme collects monitoring data from approximately 20 countries in Europe and North America to monitor and investigate the extent to which air pollution affects lakes and rivers, particularly regarding acidification, heavy metals and pollutants.

MadMacs (mass development of aquatic macrophytes; causes and consequences of macrophyte removal for ecosystem structure, function, and services) aims to determine the causes of mass development of water plants, and to study the direct and indirect consequences of their removal on ecosystem functions and services.

The program will provide information on the occurrence and level of priority substances and water region-specific substances in freshwater fish.

Together with NIBIO, we carry out operational monitoring of rivers and lakes in the Morsa water area (Vansjø-Hobølvassdraget).

This project is a bilateral cooperation between research institutions in the three Baltic states and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research on lake restoration.

The purpose of the monitoring program is to provide reference data from unaffected water bodies against which impacts can be assessed, to monitor long-term changes in natural conditions and large-scale human impact, and to monitor acidification effects in freshwater in Norway as a result of atmospheric inputs of long-range transported air pollutants.

Ecosystem monitoring in large lakes (ØKOSTOR): The program consists of monitoring of large and significant water bodies and boundary waters.

The section for catchment biogeochemistry works to understand how various pollutants are spread in the environment and how they affect the water quality in rivers, lakes, and fjords. Our studies lay the foundation for and support political guidelines and improvements to reduce unwanted environmental impacts.