Relaunch of the Freshwater Information Platform

The Freshwater Information Platform – initiated and hosted by four leading European research institutes – has undergone a major update this week, two years after its launch.

The platform makes information from a large set of freshwater ecosystem research activities accessible to scientists, stakeholders and the wider public. It offers a forum for information exchange and open-access publishing of maps and data, and seeks to stimulate cutting-edge research and collaborations in the field.

In so doing, the Freshwater Information Platform provides a unique and comprehensive knowledge base for sustainable and evidence-based management of our threatened freshwater ecosystems and the resources they provide.

Existing sections of the platform including the Freshwater Biodiversity Data Portal, the Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas, the Freshwater Species Traits Database, and the Freshwater Metadata section, have been developed and updated.

Exploring patterns of biodiversity in the Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas. Image: FIP

New sections on the Freshwater Information Platform increase the availability of accessible information and tools for freshwater science. Freshwater Information Systems offers a comprehensive collection of other available freshwater information systems or knowledge platforms. Research Deliverables and Freshwater Networks + Projects compile research deliverables from freshwater related projects mostly funded by the EU.

The Freshwater Tools section includes recently developed interactive diagnostic tools from the MARS project, which help to identify and diagnose multiple stressors and their effects on waterbodies and suggest potential management measures. This section is complemented by a variety of other useful tools for freshwater research, including modelling tools, assessment tools, GIS and R tools.

Outputs from 15 global freshwater research projects are collected in the Research Deliverables section. Image: FIP

Currently, the Freshwater Information Platform is maintained by four research institutes in Austria (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences), Belgium (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and Germany (University of Duisburg-Essen, Aquatic Ecology and Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries).

Input, contributions and support from other institutions, projects and scientists are welcomed. Details of how to contribute to the Freshwater Information Platform can be found here.