Our three main fields of research are
 

• Experimental aquatic ecology in lakes, streams, rivers and coastal marine habitats
• Aquatic biodiversity and related ecosystem functions
• Ecology of chemical communication under global change

Along these three topics, we investigate the ecology of aquatic organisms in response to environmental change and heterogeneity. In particular, we are interested in adaptations of these organisms on the levels of behaviour, physiology, phenotypic plasticity and evolution. We use a broad spectrum of methods ranging from molecular biology, analytical chemistry, stable isotope analysis, physiology and behaviour. Thereby, we aim to relate the organisms and their adaptive response to properties of the whole ecosystem such as biodiversity, food web structure, trophic transfer or matter and energy to gain a better understanding of ecosystems' structure and functions in a changing world.