Freshwater Ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems are inland water environments with low salt content, including rivers, lakes, wetlands, streams and ponds. They support fish, plants, invertebrates, birds and microorganisms that depend on flowing or standing freshwater habitats. These ecosystems are shaped by water availability, temperature, sediment, nutrient inputs and seasonal change, and are highly affected by pollution, drought, damming, habitat loss and climate change.

Satellite Image: Lake Vättern, Sweden
Image of the day: Lake Vättern on World Water DayNews

Image of the day: Lake Vättern on World Water Day

World Water Day on 22 March turns attention this year to the relationship between water, women and gender equality. The United Nations says the global…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 22, 2026 Full article
Image: Northwestern Pamir Mountains, central Tajikistan
Global project to map mountain water resources and climate risksClimate

Global project to map mountain water resources and climate risks

$9.5 million project led by ISTA combines fieldwork, advanced modeling, AI and community engagement Summary: A new international research effort will assess how climate change…
SourceSourceMarch 20, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Amvrakikos Gulf, Greece (s. wetlands)
Image of the day: Amvrakikos Gulf wetlands and lagoons in western GreeceNews

Image of the day: Amvrakikos Gulf wetlands and lagoons in western Greece

A semi-enclosed gulf shaped by rivers and lagoons A refuge for pelicans, waterbirds and fisheries The Amvrakikos Gulf wetlands in western Greece form one of…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 2, 2026 Full article
Image: glacial lake
Melting glaciers could release ancient antibiotic resistance into freshwater systemsClimate

Melting glaciers could release ancient antibiotic resistance into freshwater systems

As climate change accelerates the melting of glaciers around the world, scientists are warning of a little-known risk flowing downstream with the meltwater: antibiotic resistance…
SourceSourceJanuary 12, 2026 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 17, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: November 17, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press roundup (November 17, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 17, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Damietta Nile Branch, Nile Delta, Egypt
Image of the day: Nile Delta’s Damietta reach unfoldsNews

Image of the day: Nile Delta’s Damietta reach unfolds

At the northeastern edge of Egypt’s Nile Delta, the eastern distributary known as the Damietta Branch flows northeast toward the Mediterranean Sea, cutting through a…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 12, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 9, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: November 9, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press roundup (November 9, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 9, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 5, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: November 5, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (November 5, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 5, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: October 1, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: October 1, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (October 1, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskOctober 1, 2025 Full article
Image: Aerial view of a river in Alaska
Climate change stunts Chinook salmon growth in AlaskaScience

Climate change stunts Chinook salmon growth in Alaska

Rivers across Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory are warming at a rapid pace, posing a growing threat to Chinook salmon and the Indigenous communities that…
SourceSourceSeptember 11, 2025 Full article
Image: Earth’s continents are experiencing unprecedented freshwater loss
Continental drying is accelerating global freshwater loss, satellite data showsScience

Continental drying is accelerating global freshwater loss, satellite data shows

Unprecedented continental drying driven by severe droughts and groundwater overuse are reducing freshwater and contributing to sea level rise Summary: Freshwater is disappearing from the…
SourceSourceJuly 26, 2025 Full article
Image: Image of restored wetland
Wetland restoration slashes carbon by 39% and boosts drought resilience in one yearClimate

Wetland restoration slashes carbon by 39% and boosts drought resilience in one year

Reviving floodplain wetlands slashes carbon emissions by 39% and restores critical ecosystem functions in one year – without the methane spike typically seen in restored…
SourceSourceJuly 16, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: July 10, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: July 10, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (July 10, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJuly 10, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: July 9, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: July 9, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (July 9, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
SourceSourceJuly 9, 2025 Full article
Illustration 3d letter blocks forming the word news
Comic book brings sponge landscapes to life in SpongeBoost projectNews

Comic book brings sponge landscapes to life in SpongeBoost project

The SpongeBoost project is using a creative approach to highlight the importance of restoring natural water retention in landscapes. Through a mix of research, best…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 28, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Labanoras Regional Park, Lithuania
Image of the Day: Labanoras Regional Park’s freshwater tapestryNews

Image of the Day: Labanoras Regional Park’s freshwater tapestry

On March 22, 2025, World Water Day spotlights 'Glacier Preservation', emphasizing the critical role glaciers play in global water systems. While glaciers are vital, other…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 22, 2025 Full article
Small iceberg floating in ocean water under a bright sky with the Sun visible above - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: February 19, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: February 19, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup, featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief: New research…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 20, 2025 Full article
Image: Algae in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia produce domoic acid, a toxin that can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning
Mapping algae interactions to predict harmful algal bloomsScience

Mapping algae interactions to predict harmful algal blooms

Summary New science helps demystify the frequent harmful algal blooms in the Pacific off the coast of Chile by studying how algae species interact with…
SourceSourceFebruary 9, 2025 Full article
Satellite imagery: Unusual gain of ice and snow mass on the Greenland ice sheet (heat, climate, extreme weather)
Record heat transforms West Greenland lakes, impacts drinking water and carbon cycleClimate

Record heat transforms West Greenland lakes, impacts drinking water and carbon cycle

Extreme climate pushed thousands of lakes in West Greenland ‘across a tipping point,’ study finds Summary: A new study has revealed how record-breaking heat and…
SourceSourceJanuary 22, 2025 Full article
Lake Mendota at sunset
Bacteria evolve seasonally in response to environmental changesNewsScience

Bacteria evolve seasonally in response to environmental changes

Bacteria in Wisconsin’s Lake Mendota exhibit a unique evolutionary cycle, responding rapidly to seasonal changes before resetting to genetic states resembling prior years, according to…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 5, 2025 Full article
Poyang Lake from space
Poyang Lake restoration advances with new phase to combat climate change and boost biodiversityNews

Poyang Lake restoration advances with new phase to combat climate change and boost biodiversity

Conservation International and Sateri, a leading producer of manmade cellulose fibers, have launched the third phase of the Poyang Lake Ecosystem Restoration Initiative. This milestone…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 2, 2025 Full article
Artificial ponds used as mesocosms forming pond networks
Connectivity loss in pond networks threatens microbial diversityScience

Connectivity loss in pond networks threatens microbial diversity

Even the smallest ecosystems, like ponds, are feeling the pressures of global biodiversity loss, with human-driven fragmentation posing a significant threat. These often-overlooked waterbodies are…
SourceSourceDecember 19, 2024 Full article
Small iceberg floating in ocean water under a bright sky with the Sun visible above - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: December 9, 2024Science

Climate Science Digest: December 9, 2024

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (December 9, 2024), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 10, 2024 Full article
A tree in the globe hovering in desert - abstract image (s. research, science, climate)
Muser Press – New Research Articles Week 48, 2024Science

Muser Press – New Research Articles Week 48, 2024

Discover the latest articles from leading science journals in the Muser Press weekly roundup (Week 48, 2024), showcasing impactful research published this week. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 1, 2024 Full article