Effects of Fe supplementation on the ecology and P dynamics in eutrophic lakes

ESR 11: Melanie Münch

Supervisor: Dr. Thilo Behrends (Utrecht University, The Netherlands) / Co-supervisor: Prof. Stefan Peiffer (University of Bayreuth, Germany)

Project description:The project of ESR 11 is dedicated to the effects of iron supplementation on the ecology and phosphate dynamics in eutrophic lakes. Eutrophication is still the main cause for many European lakes to have an ecological status of less than ‘good’. The ESR will evaluate iron addition to lakes as a mitigation technique to improve their ecological status. The research will include field sampling campaigns, field and laboratory experiments, biogeochemical analyses, as well as modelling of element cycles in lakes. The project will be performed in close collaboration with Dutch and international partners and involves secondments at academic partners in the consortium but also at companies which are partner organizations in the P-TRAP project.

Secondments planned:

WATERNET: Designing lake restoration strategies based on Fe addition (3 months)

UNIMAN: Techniques for to studying microbial communities (1 month)

UBT: Quantitative models for P and Fe dynamics in lakes (2 months)