The collection of biometric variables on mussels from the Mar Piccolo of Taranto started in 2004 and is still ongoing. Seventy-five randomly selected mussels are seasonally sampled from three breeding “camera” (five for each camera), at three different distances from the coastline (i.e. land, middle, off shore) (five for each distance). For each specimen, shell length, shell and meat dry weight, and condition index are measured in the laboratory. From 2004 until 2012, the absence of high levels of contamination and of cyclical heat waves allowed sampling only in summer, in one station in the First Inlet (FI) (40°29’28.99”N 17°15’41.85”E). In 2013, due to the increasing PCB contamination in FI, mussels were moved to the Second Inlet (SI) in summer, where contamination remained lower than the legal limits. Therefore, mussels were sampled in FI in spring, and in SI (40°29’22.46”N 17°18’09.15”) in summer. By way of exception, in 2014, two summer samplings were carried out, one in SI and one in the near Mar Grande (40°27’23.93”N 17°14’38.32”E), to assess the commercial suitability of this second site. In 2015, due to the extreme climatic events occurred, an additional winter sampling in FI became necessary. From 2016 onwards, a spring sampling in FI and a summer sampling in SI are routinely carried out.

How do freshwater ecosystems react to changing environmental conditions and to what extent can these changes be captured in the dynamics of eco-evolutionary processes? The project REES ('Rhine Eco-Evolutionary System') aims at the long-term assessment of eco-evolutionary interactions in the Rhine as a limnic habitat under consideration of diverse associated water bodies. The study area includes the main flow channel of the Rhine (km 845, North Rhine-Westphalia), as well as Rhine oxbows, Rhine water-fed gravel pit lakes in ecological succession and the surrounding floodplain (Rees, district of Kleve). The Ecological Research Station Rees-Grietherbusch of the Institute of Zoology (University of Cologne) and the Nature Conservation Center District Kleve e.V. form the central infrastructure of the study area. In addition, the Ecological Rhine Station of the University under the direction of Prof. Dr. Arndt is also associated to the project, which enables direct sampling and experimental recording of the main Rhine flow channel. The extensive system of standing and flowing freshwater bodies covered in the REES study site allows the investigation of dynamic variations in biodiversity composition at all levels, from species diversity of communities to genomic diversity at the molecular level of individuals and populations. Along a selected trophic cascade, representative species will be long-term observed and analyzed ecologically and especially also (population-)genomically. The incorporation of ecological genomics is the core aspect of this LTER-D project, which is intended to capture the feedback of evolutionary changes on the ecological system. Population genomic approaches can be used to infer both evolutionary and ecological processes from genomic data. To cope with the dimension of this project, REES is designed as an interdisciplinary collaboration project and currently counts seven project partners with corresponding subordinate projects.

A Long Term Ecological Research Program -GUADALQUIVIR_LTER 1997-2022- has been maintained since 1997 at the Guadalquivir estuary. The temporal and spatial evolution of abundances and biomasses of the aquatic community species -plankton, fish, and crustacean- is monitored monthly since 26 years ago (1997 to present). Community data is resolved at different levels of the ecosystem -individuals, populations, and communities- and completed with their corresponding water environmental data -salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, pH, among others- as well as detailed information on trophic structure and biology of the main species. Since 2021 a new Spanish Science Agency project is working together with Guadalquivir-LTER on the socio-ecology of the region, management, and cooperation among different stakeholders.

Large-scale opencast mining of brown coal represents a significant and devastating intervention in the natural environment. As a close to nature and economically acceptable method of reclamation of residual mine pits, the hydric method of reclamation is used, when lakes are created from quarries. The creation of a new lake in a former mining area essentially represents a large-scale ecological experiment, during which a number of specific factors are involved with impacts on individual organisms, multiple trophic levels and interactions, even entire food chains, and ultimately the lake water quality. Post-mining lakes (Medard Lake – 490 ha, max. depth 50 m, 400 m a.s.l., Milada Lake – 245 ha, max. depth 25 m, 145 m a.s.l., Most Lake – 310 ha, max. depth 75 m, 199 m a.s.l.) thus represent unique LTER areas for studying ecological processes in large natural lentic ecosystems. The ongoing research is focused mainly on (i) the structuring effect of submerged macrophytes on trophic relationships and distribution of fish in deep lakes, (ii) the effects of intra- and interspecific interactions on the succession of fish communities, and (iii) the effects of anthropogenic use and long-term changes on water quality, composition, periphyton composition and phytoplankton structure and biomass.

The site is a revitalized young steppe habitat patch, dominated by fescue (Festuca rupicola). The average altitude is around 100 m. The site is a grazing spot and it was recently used for the reintroduction of the European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) to the area after 70 years. Other important species present at the site include Vojvodina blind mole rat (Nannospalax (leucodon) montanosyrmiensis) and Spring meadow saffron (Bulbocodium versicolor).

The Presidential Estate of Castelporziano stretches itself over an area of about 6100 ha and is located approximately 24 km from the city of Rome. The territory is characterized by remarkable natural features. It shows most of the typical Mediterranean ecosystems (relict strips of lowland forest with hygrophilous vegetation, deciduous and evergreen mixed oak woods, Mediterranean scrub, dune vegetation). Until recently (2019), there were large surfaces of stone pine unfortunately destroyed by the combined action of alien pest Toumeyella parvicornis with Tomicus destruens, the main pest of Mediterranean pine forests. Inside the Estate, there are two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs): one concerning the coastal strip (IT6030027) and the other one concerning hygrophulous oak-woods (IT6030028). In addition to including the two SACs, the Estate is in its entirety Special Protection Area (SPA - IT 6030084). From a botanical point of view this area, together with the neighbouring Castelfusano territory, represents what remains of the vast forest system that covered the entire delta of the Tiber and the surrounding areas. The land is mostly flat, but in the North there are modest reliefs that are not higher than 85 m. on sea level. A complex set of ancient dunes and a chain of more recent dunes stretch out along the coastline. There are many temporary and permanent natural pools and wetland areas with seasonal floodings caused by meteoric water and groundwater, which usually dry out during summer and represent sites with the greatest biodiversity. From an ecological point of view, those “relict wetland areas” play actually a very important role for biodiversity because of plant species which are typical of hydrosoil and in the past were widespread but have now almost disappeared.

The Archipelago Research Institute is a historical marine station at the island of Seili, located in the middle of the Turku archipelago. The Institute offers various research support services as well as participates in multidisciplinary research of the Baltic Sea, with a special focus on the condition of the Archipelago Sea. The station is open for researchers and visitors year-round.

The aim of the Brigalow Catchment Study is to determine the effects of land clearing and land use change on hydrology, water quality, soil fertility and crop and animal productivity in the Brigalow Belt bioregion of central Queensland, Australia

Lake Beyşehir, the largest freshwater lake in Turkey as well as in the Mediterranean basin, has a surface area of approximately 650 km2 and mean and max depth of 5–6 and 8–9 m, respectively. The catchment is situated in a semidry Mediterranean climate having an average temperature of 11 °C and an annual total precipitation of 490 mm during 1960–2012. In this period, precipitation values fluctuated between 317 and 716 mm (Beyşehir meteorology station, www.mgm.gov.tr), and the lowest annual average temperature was recorded in 1992 (8.5 °C) the highest in 2010 (13.1 °C). The catchment area of the lake is 4704 km2. The northern and eastern parts of the catchment are flat and intensively used for crop farming, while the western part of the catchment is dominated by mountains covered with forests and small areas of low-intensity agriculture. Nearly half of the catchment (42.7%) is covered by range-brush, 25.5% by agricultural land, and 13.5% by water (including Lake Beyşehir, the inflows, and wetlands), while forested areas (evergreen and deciduous forests) constitute 11.2%. The elevation ranges between 1027 and 2958 m.a.s.l., with an average elevation of 1370 m.