Research

Funding: MEKUN, 133.105 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the study applied for here is to investigate the habitat use of harbor porpoises in the western part of the Baltic Sea in a follow-up project using "passive-acoustic monitoring". To this end, harbor porpoise click detectors (C-PODs, Ceatacean_Porpoise_Detectors) were deployed at a total of four locations in March 2021 to record the presence of harbor porpoises. In August 2023, another station funded by the German Wildlife Foundation was deployed in the Baltic Sea. The monitoring stations in operation (Holnis, Bredgrund, Schleisand, Damp and Waabs) are intended to close the existing gap in the monitoring network between Fehmarn and Denmark. The habitat of harbor porpoises in the Baltic Sea is heavily influenced by human activities and factors that can have a negative impact on harbor porpoise populations. These include commercial shipping, tourist leisure activities, seismic surveys, military activities, fishing, offshore construction, blasting of old munitions, chemical and pharmaceutical pollution and marine litter.
In the Baltic Sea in particular, the harbor porpoise continues to be threatened by fishing with gillnets, in which harbor porpoises can end up as unintentional bycatch. In order to warn harbor porpoises of gillnets, acoustic warning devices are increasingly being used in the German Baltic Sea to warn porpoises of nets. These warning devices (Porpoise Alert = PAL) simulate the communication sound of harbor porpoises. Whether these devices lead to a reduction in by-catches has not yet been conclusively investigated. There is also currently no accompanying research to investigate whether these devices lead to the displacement of harbor porpoises.
The anthropogenic interventions described are only the most serious for the harbor porpoise. All these activities have a simultaneous effect on the harbor porpoise population and cannot be considered separately. The absence of older animals among the harbor porpoises captured and stranded in all study areas could be an indication that harbor porpoises in the Baltic Sea are affected by cumulative anthropogenic activities.

This study addresses the following questions:

1. Where do harbor porpoises occur in the western Baltic Sea?
2. Are there seasonal trends in the occurrence of harbor porpoises?
3. Which areas are of high ecological importance for harbor porpoises (e.g. foraging hotspots)?
4. Can the C-POD data collected as part of this monitoring be used to investigate the effects of blasting on harbor porpoises?
5. Can recommendations be derived from the results for certain periods when blasting should be considered more critically than in others?
6. Does the presence of PAL signals have an influence on the dating of harbor porpoises?

Results:

In 2021, continuous acoustic monitoring of porpoises was launched for the first time in the Schleswig-Holstein section of the Baltic Sea, between the Flensburg Fjord and Eckernförde Bay. In 2023, a further monitoring station was added, extending the monitoring network southwards. A total of five monitoring stations (Holnis, Bredgrund, Schleisand, Damp and Waabs) are in operation, equipped with click detectors (C-PODs) to record the echolocation sounds (clicks) of porpoises. The monitoring has provided acoustic data on the occurrence and seasonal presence of porpoises.

In addition to genuine porpoise clicks, an increasing number of artificial porpoise clicks from acoustic warning devices were recorded. These warning devices are known as Porpoise Alerting Devices (PALs) and are used in gillnet fishing to warn porpoises of the presence of nets by emitting artificial, porpoise-like click signals, thereby reducing bycatch. The devices emit high-frequency click sequences with a centre frequency of around 130 kHz, which are acoustically almost indistinguishable from natural porpoise clicks.

As PALs emit artificial click signals that can be misclassified by C-PODs as genuine porpoise clicks, it was necessary to develop a specialised PAL detector. This was based on a standalone C-POD-PAL array experiment, which was carried out as a supplementary research project. The experiment was carried out at the Bredgrund station from July to October 2023 over a period of 93 days. A total of eleven C-PODs were deployed in a star-shaped pattern at varying distances around a central PAL. The PAL operated cyclically (24 hours on, 26 hours off), enabling direct comparisons between PAL-active and PAL-inactive phases. Using machine learning and a combination of various classification algorithms, the artificial porpoise clicks could be identified automatically.

After filtering the PAL signals, the data showed that porpoises were detected acoustically throughout the year at all monitoring stations in 2024 (Waabs 36.8%, Bredgrund 25.7%, Schleisand 13.9%, Holnis 11.1% and Damp 4.9% detection-positive 10-minute intervals (DP10M) as a median across the day). A comparison between the stations shows that both Waabs in Eckernförde Bay and Bredgrund in the Geltinger Birk area had the highest detection rates. Generalised additive models (GAMs) were used to analyse the annual and diurnal patterns of porpoise detections. The day of the year, the hour of the day and the year of the study were taken into account as explanatory variables. Harbout porpoise detections peaked in spring and autumn (bimodal distribution), with increased detections observed at the southern monitoring stations Damp and Waabs during the breeding season (August-September). Detections declined during the summer months, presumably due to low oxygen saturation in the shallow water or increased tourist activity. Diurnal effects were generally weak, but occurred more frequently at night at the Bredgrund and Waabs stations.

The results of porpoise monitoring in the western Baltic Sea show that PALs not only interfere with acoustic monitoring from a technical perspective, but also cause measurable changes in porpoise behaviour. Areas with a long-term presence of PALs must therefore be classified as habitats subject to significant anthropogenic influence.

The combination of continuous monitoring, PAL filtering, model-based analysis and the consideration of acute disturbance events such as blasting provides an important basis for management and conservation measures under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Continuation and further development of the monitoring programme are necessary to better assess long-term trends and cumulative effects.

Funding: DFG, 122.183 EUR

Project Details:
Enteroinvasive bacterial pathogens are serious health threats for humans and animals as they can overcome the physical and innate immune barrier by the intestinal epithelium. There is evidence that such pathogens exploit host transcytotic pathways of different intestinal epithelial cell types that are otherwise used for antigen and nutrient uptake. Intestinal transcytosis and transcytosis pathways may considerably contribute to the disease outcome of infection. However, these processes are not fully understood. For example, it is not clear whether different pathogens share pathways for translocation. This project describes a research collaboration to clarify transcytosis of the enteroinvasive intracellular bacterial pathogens Salmonella enterica and Mycobacterium avium. Both Salmonella serovars and M. avium subspecies are known to use different intestinal cell types for entry into the host. However, translocation through the cells is largely unknown. The aim of this project is to define the mechanisms of translocation and the promoting factors by infecting intestinal epithelial organoids.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof.Dr. Guntram Graßl

Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Funding: Europäische Union, 142.547 EUR

Project Details:
The European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW) is a research and innovation initiative funded by the European Commission (EC) to control infectious diseases of animals, and to promote animal welfare. Due to the close link between animal health, animal welfare and human well-being, the One Health-One Welfare perspective takes a prominent position in the EUPAHW. Within the EUPAHW, the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research will work with other partners on wildlife-livestock-human interface. The overall objective is to integrate the health of wild mammals and birds into the overall health surveillance and monitoring of livestock. Wildlife health surveillance contributes to the assessment of environmental health because wild animals may serve as sentinels for both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Improving wildlife population monitoring and surveillance of wildlife pathogens/diseases aims to detect the emergence of pathogens and reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases between wildlife and livestock and even humans. The information is needed to design, apply and support sustainable livestock and wildlife management systems. In this context, the EUPAHW will assess the impact of climate change and human/anthropogenic activities such as hunting, trade, feeding, rewilding and translocation of wildlife on the spread of diseases and the establishment of invasive species.

Cooperation Partners:

56 Forschungsinstitutionen aus Europa (https://www.eupahw.eu)

Funding: Stiftung zur Förderung der Erforschung von Ersatz- und Ergänzungsmethoden zur Einschränkung von Tierversuchen, 125.000 EUR

Project Details:
Chronic pain represents a significant health problem affecting approximately 20 to 50% of the world's population. Therapeutic methods are largely developed in behavioral tests with induced pain in rodents. This approach does not allow for pain treatment, leading to severe distress for the animals. Nevertheless, therapeutics developed in animals are not always effective in humans. Therefore, two in vitro models using human cells will be developed to quantify neuron-mediated chronic pain with the highest possible predictive power. For this purpose, stem cell-derived sensory neurons will be used (1.) to develop a luciferase-based exocytosis assay to easily quantify the increased release of neuropeptides (Substance P and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide) involved in the chronic pain response. Additionally, (2.) an innervated skin model will be developed to quantify neurite outgrowth and the expression of regulated genes associated with chronic pain receptors and ion channels involved in signal transduction in vitro. The proof-of-concept for the use of these models in pharmacology and toxicology will be provided by inhibiting induced neuropeptide release, induced neurite outgrowth, and induced gene expression with therapeutically effective substances or by triggering them through the addition of exogenous substances. This approach allows for the modeling of molecular pathways of chronic pain development in vitro, directly in human cells, to avoid unnecessary animal experiments and to develop effective and safe therapeutics for humans. Following the project, the skin model will be adapted to model atopic dermatitis using induced pluripotent stem cells and primary cells from patients, aiming to bring specific in vitro disease models into application for the development of new therapies in cooperation with industrial partners. Furthermore, the project should serve as a foundation for further cross-disciplinary in vitro modeling, such as the simulation of chronic joint pain.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Annemarie Lang, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Funding: Interreg VI-B Norseeprogramm EFRE (Mittel aus dem Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung - EFRE) Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Bundes- und Europangelegenheiten und Regionale Entwicklung, Hannover Mittel des Bundes, 411.143 EUR

Project Details:
The North Sea is one of the busiest shipping areas. In order to achieve the EU's climate targets, a massive expansion of wind farms is planned in the North Sea. The North Sea is also a valuable habitat for many species that are threatened by future maritime developments. This also includes the risk of noise pollution. DEMASK aims to encourage maritime decision-makers, spatial planners and industry stakeholders to address the issue of underwater noise by jointly planning scenarios for the future of the North Sea, improving the tools and knowledge to assess noise mitigation scenarios and setting strategic priorities that lead to a well-managed noise landscape.
DEMASK consists of three working groups. The centerpiece (WP1) is the joint scenario planning process. WP1 relies on stakeholder participation and is specifically designed to maximize the uptake of strategic policy priorities for noise mitigation. It defines and assesses the key policy scenarios for noise reduction. WP2 focuses on predicting the future noise situation. Finally, WP3 will carry out risk assessments for biodiversity in the North Sea for alternative action scenarios. Pilot projects will predict the noise scenarios for these alternative scenarios compared to the baseline situation and use these noise scenarios to assess the impacts of noise and the associated risks for indicator species. Risks will be assessed on the basis of sensitivity, distribution, habitat and exposure if the thresholds for the occurrence of biologically significant adverse effects (LOBE) are exceeded at the regional level. This work package is led by ITAW.

Cooperation Partners:

Projektkoordination, Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), Ministry of Infastructure and Water Management, Utrecht

Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), Hamburg

TNO research, Den Haag

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Kristineberg

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Brüssel

North Sea Foundation, Utrecht

Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende

JASCO Applied Sciences

Funding: MEKUN, 394.000 EUR

Project Details:
Amphibians worldwide are confronted with a variety of factors causing a rapid population declines. In Schleswig-Holstein, these population declines can also be in otherwise widely distributed species and cannot be explained by structural parameters alone, such as habitat loss and alteration. Other factors influencing amphibians can include toxicological contamination and invasive pathogens. The effects of those stressors on our native amphibians are largely unknown. Furthermore, the extent to which the different stressors interact is largely unknown, although it is assumed that they potentiate each other. In order to implement successful conservation measures in the long term, it is important to identify and evaluate the relevant stressors. Based on preliminary studies carried out at the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) from 2021 to 2023, the project aims to investigate possible stressors for amphibians native to Schleswig-Holstein. This includes the continued monitoring of pathogens, such as fungi originating from Asia (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal)) as well as Ranaviruses and herpes viruses. In addition, of animal-related data as well as data on habitat-specific factors are collected to be able to explain differences in the occurrence of infectious agents. The collection of habitat-related data includes water quality characteristics (e.g. pH value, water temperature) and analyses of possible contaminants correlation with utilization, structure and surrounding vegetation over the course of the year.
In addition to recording possible stressors and their interaction, this study aims to develop a basis to evaluate habitats in the course of species protection measures such as reintroduction projects.

Cooperation Partners:

Rachel Marschang und Christoph Leineweber, LABOKLIN GmbH, Bad Kissingen

Annika Jahnke und Nadin Ulrich, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung, Leipzig

Krishna Das, University oh Liege, Lüttich, Belgium

Arne Drews, Landesamt für Umwelt, Schleswig-Holstein

Christian Winkler, faunistische Gutachten

René Seifert, Bündnis Naturschutz in Dithmarschen e. V.

Funding: Ministerium für Energie­wende, Klimaschutz, Umwelt und Natur (MEKUN), 766.851 EUR

Project Details:
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is classified as endangered in Europe due to continuous the population declines. Meanwhile, its occurrence along the coast of Schleswig-Holstein has potential for conflict with the culturally established and economically important fisheries.
The methods investigated in the pilot study showed promising effects: the tested eider protection fence effectively protected the mussel lines from feeding damage by common eiders and there were clear differences to control lines that were freely accessible to the eiders. However, the measures have so far only been tested on a small scale. In order to investigate the practicability on a realistic scale, this follow-up project aims to extend the to a larger area and possibly include other deterring methods that have not been used in the pilot project.

The long-term objective is to find practicable methods that are applicable to commercially operated mussel farms and at the same time function in terms of animal welfare or can even contribute to the reduction of bycatch in other areas.

At the same time, necropsies of dead common eiders will be continued in order to provide information on the incidence of disease within the population, identify pathological changes and classify these in the context of the population decline. This includes bacteriological, virological and parasitological analyses. In addition, toxicological examinations will provide information on the animals' exposure to environmental pollutants.

Funding: IDT Biologika und von der Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), 484.000 EUR

Project Details:
We will study the immunogenicity and efficacy of our vaccine candidate, MVA-MERS-S, when used in different single vaccination and vaccination-booster setting in the lethal k18-hDPP4-mouse model after MERS-CoV-challenge infection. Different vaccination schedules also include different time points of challenge infection. We will characterize the activation of MERS-CoV-specific antibodies and T cells. The protective efficacy will be analyzed by morbidity, mortality and viral load in the lung and the brain a target organs. Moreover, a histopathological examination of the upper and lower respiratory tract of the animals upon challenged with MERS-CoV will show any evidence of ADE and ERD, respectively. Another study will evaluate the impact of passively transfered sera from MVA-MERS-S vaccinated mice for the outcome of protection after challenge infection.

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, 104.438 EUR

Project Details:
From 12.04. to 15.04.2023 the "Black Grouse Symposium 2023, Will the black grouse survive in the Lüneburg Heath?" took place at Camp Reinsehlen in Schneverdingen. The event was organized by the Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation (NNA), the ITAW, the Lower Saxony Hunting Association (LJN), the Lower Saxony Ministries of Agriculture (ML) and Environment (MU) and the Nature Conservation Park Association (VNP). At the symposium, the alarming state of the black grouse population in Lower Saxony, known and suspected causes of this state and possible solutions were discussed. The participants, in particular the local stakeholders from the areas of occurrence, clearly advocated a species aid program for the black grouse in the Lüneburg Heath, which should provide a framework for eliminating the problems discussed in the best possible way and achieving a healthy, stable population in the medium to long term.

At a follow-up event initiated by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in June 2023, the project to develop a black grouse action plan was launched. The project is being implemented by the ITAW and the NNA. The contents of the action plan will be coordinated with the involved stakeholders from landowners, authorities and other interest groups as part of a "round table".

Cooperation Partners:

Projektpartner: Alfred Toepfer Akademie für Naturschutz (NNA)

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, 255.930 EUR

Project Details:
The mouflon or mouflon Ovis gmelini musimon only occurs in a few remaining populations in Lower Saxony. The mouflon should have a good chance of survival at least in some low mountain regions due to its predator avoidance strategy with short steep escapes up rocky slopes, but has become extinct in the lowland regions due to the presence of the wolf.
There is much discussion about the few animals in Lower Saxony and Germany in general: The mouflon is not originally native here (not autochthonous) and causes high levels of damage to forestry locally. On the other hand, it is classified as endangered by the IUCN in its native Corsica and Sardinia and is a symbolic species for hunters. Therefore, in this study we want to take a neutral view and use photo traps and direct observations to determine facts about abundance, behavior and enemy avoidance strategies as well as damage effects. In addition, surveys and interviews will be used to obtain the opinions of the various stakeholders (hunters, foresters, farmers, other nature lovers, etc.).
All of this data will be used to objectify the discussion about mouflon, large predators and human interests and to model the survival probabilities of Lower Saxony's mouflon populations in the presence of wolves and lynx.