Alpine Lake Studies at Altaussee, Austria
The Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans supports geological, ecological, environmental and physical studies conducted here to enhance understanding and protection of alpine ecosystems.
Overview
Lake Altaussee is an ideal natural laboratory to study fragile Alpine lake environments susceptible to climate change.
Alpine lakes face increasing effects from urbanization and climate change, and are often selected as a study area sensitive to these effects. In 2019, Walter Munk chose Lake Altaussee, Austria to study intensively, beginning a years-long research effort to quantify climate and urbanization effects on the lake's ecology. WMFO, along with Austrian researchers lead by Erwin Heine at BOKU University, are continuing this effort.
Project Description
-
Lake Altaussee has seen dramatic changes recently. The lake has not frozen over in winter for the past three years. The fish population has decreased, fish are smaller and are found deeper than is historically typical. The Austrian Government instituted a Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change in 2012. Our efforts at Lake Altaussee support this strategy and contribute to a broad understanding of the history, present status and likely future of sensitive Alpine lake habitat.
-
Walter Munk initiated this project in 2018 in cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. The goal is to intensively study the lake geology, biology, and hydrology as a way to better understand Alpine lake habitats. In particular, the project will:
Detail the geological record and past history of the lake and surrounding area.
Quantify and describe the current lake dynamics and ecological system.
Provide baseline observations in support of Austrian, European and Global climate goals.
Make results publicly available - especially to students.
-
Erwin Heine: Lake Altaussee - Hydrobiology, topography and stratigraphy of the lake bed
Erwin Heine: Lake Altaussee — Hydrography
Erwin Heine: Lake Altaussee — Publications and Media
Dr. Chris Verlinden: Overview of Research at Lake Altaussee
Lake Altaussee Data Portal
Coming soon: Sediment, microplastics, heat budget, ancient trees, and more
Participants
Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Institut Océanographique Paul Ricard
iXblue
University of Innsbruck
Aix-Marseille Université
Swiss Institute for Speleology and Karst Studies (SISKA)
Altaussee Fire Brigade and municipality
Sponsors
The Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans
Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)
The Richard Lounsbery Foundation
The Österreichische Bundesforste (ÖBF)
Austrian Federal Agency for Water Management
The Provincial Government of Styria
Cheops Privatstiftung Wien
The Experiment Foundation
Dr. Tim’s Aquatics
